Team Building Exercises
by Ex-Shark-Virtue-005
Summary: Sumeragi and Veda decide that the Ptolemy crew needs a bit of team building. So they go on a little vacation and of course, since it's Celestial Being, chaos ensues. It's a pre-season one fic.
1. We're Going to do WHAT?

Konnichiwa minna-san! I'm back with another Gundam 00 fanfiction. It's more humorous than some of my others and it takes place before season one. It's probably not going to be very long, with at least four active long-fic-is-long-fics, I need a break from the crazy fifty-thousand plus word fics.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam 00, the characters or anything else to do with Gundam 00. But as long as I'm good and I don't traumatize Tieria too much, Veda is letting me borrow them for a bit.

Happy Reading.

* * *

Chapter One: We're going to do what!

"Great job out there," Sumeragi said as four young men stepped out of the cockpits of their Gundams, "What do you think we celebrate?"

"Celebrate what?" Tieria Erde, a boy probably in his late teens with pin straight, shoulder length vivid dark purple hair, deep red eyes usually protected by thin wire-framed glasses, said, "We were just doing our jobs."

Sumeragi sighed, /That boy is far too uptight/ She thought, /He needs to chill out/

"How about you Setsuna?" She asked, "Do you want to celebrate?"

Setsuna F. Seiei, a sixteen year old and the youngest of the Meisters. He had dark skin, light brownish-red eyes and jet black hair and didn't talk much. The boy looked at her then left the hangar after Tieria.

/He's another one/ She thought, /What is it with the two youngest?/

"We'll celebrate with you," Lockon Stratos, a twenty-four year old with clear blue-green eyes and long auburn hair, said, "Give the other two a chance, they're just young."

"I wouldn't mind joining you," Allelujah Haptism, a nineteen year old with long dark brown hair covering one of his eyes reveling just a silver eye, "It'll be a chance to get to know everyone."

"Alright," Sumeragi said, /At least these two know how to have fun/ she thought, "Hold on, I'll go page the other two to the dining room."

"Alright," Lockon said, "We'll meet you there."

* * *

Sumeragi, Lockon and Allelujah were already in the dining room when a rather unhappy Tieria walked into the room, "What is the meaning of this?" He asked, "I thought I told you that there is absolutely nothing to celebrate."

"Don't look at it as a celebration, then." Sumeragi said, "Look at it as having a meal with you comrades to get to know them better."

"I don't have time for this now," Tieria said, "I have a lot of work that I need to do. And," He said as he looked at his wristwatch, "It is far too late to have lunch seeing that we ate lunch before we practiced on the simulators and it is far too early to have supper for the same reason."

"Well then," Sumeragi said as she tried to compete with the boy, "What about an afternoon snack then?"

Tieria scoffed, "I don't snack," He said bluntly as he turned for the door.

Sumeragi sighed. Ian and Dr. Moreno had warned her about this. They told her that the young man in front of her would only do something if it was one hundred percent necessary. She was told that anything that wasn't completely necessary in Tieria's eyes, he wouldn't do it. "We do need to discuss how the training went today," She said as the boy was about to open the door, "We could do it here instead of in the briefing room."

"This room doesn't have constant surveillance like the briefing room does," He said, "And anything that pertains to the missions we will be conducting and the training we've been undergoing needs to be recorded for future reference. Now if you're through I need to get back to my work."

"Couldn't you just record the discussion?" Sumeragi asked sheepishly. She was fighting a losing battle with the second youngest but she needed to try anyway.

Tieria's garnet eyes flashed dangerously, "I wouldn't waste my time with something so trivial," He said, "If you'll excuse me." The purple haired boy then left the room without another room.

"What's his problem?" Sumeragi asked.

"Ah, leave him alone," Lockon said, "He just wants to act tough in front of everyone. It's kinda cute actually."

"Don't let him hear you say that," Sumeragi said, "You know what he did the last time you said something like that to him."

"Yeah," Lockon said as he sub-consciously brought his hand to the bridge of his nose, "That really hurt..."

Sumeragi sighed, "Well I'm guessing that it's just going to be the three of us," She said, "The other two decided to decline my offer."

"They're children," Lockon said, "Give them a chance. Find a way where they can't avoid socializing with everyone."

"How do I do that?" Sumeragi asked, "Tieria shuts himself in his room for hours at a time and Setsuna just won't talk. How am I supposed to drag Tieria out of his room and get Setsuna to talk?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something," Allelujah said as he helped himself to a cup of coffee, "You are the tactical forecaster after all. Plan a trip or something, there are still several months before we start conducting the armed interventions."

"You know," Lockon said as he took a cookie, "That's a great idea. You should do it."

"I'll look into it," Sumeragi said, "The difficult part is getting the younger two to agree to it."

"Well," Lockon said as he stood," I'm sure you can come up with something. Well, I'm gonna head back to my room for a bit."

"I should get going too," Allelujah said.

"Alright," Sumeragi said, "Thank you for the idea."

Sumeragi sighed as she returned to her room. She had no idea how she was going to convince Tieria to take a little trip somewhere on Earth. The boy had already expressed his strong feelings of dislike for the surface. There was only one way she could convince Tieria to come and she knew that it would be difficult.

"If only Veda would predict some kind of team building trip," She said out-loud, "But that would probably never happen."

* * *

"_What is the meaning of this?" _Tieria's voice could be heard very, very early the next morning.

Sumeragi turned her back on the source of the rather annoying disruption. She opened her eyes just a bit to check the time and she sighed, it was only five thirty.

"_Sumeragi Li Noriega!" _Tieria yelled, _"Wake up this instant!"_

Sumeragi sighed as she picked up the communication device that was sitting on her bedside table and turned it off. "We can deal with whatever he wants at a more reasonable hour." She muttered as she shut her eyes again.

"_Sumeragi Li Noriega!"_

Sumeragi looked at the small device that was now sitting on her bed, "I thought I turned this off," She said as she checked the small device and found that it _was_ off, "What the hell? If I turned this off then how the hell can I still hear Tieria's voice?"

"Because I am standing in your room." Tieria's voice came.

"You're _what_!" Sumeragi said as she sat up. She was very thankful that she worn clothes to bed the night before, "Alright we need to set some ground rules right here and now!" She yelled, "If I have not come out of my room for the day you are NOT to enter! If it is before seven in the morning you are not to enter my room! If you do not have my permission you are not to enter my room! Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," Tieria responded bluntly.

"How the hell did you get in here anyway?" Sumeragi asked.

"I used Veda to gain access to your room," Tieria said.

"That's another thing," Sumeragi said, "You are not to use Veda to gain access to the _private _quarters."

"I understand," Tieria said.

"Now, what is it you want?" Sumeragi asked.

"I woke to this," Tieria said as he took a piece of paper out of his pocket and thrust it at Sumeragi.

Sumeragi took the paper and read it, "But how?" She asked.

"That is exactly what I want to know," Tieria said, "Veda wouldn't normally assign this type of mission. I'm guessing you're the one behind this."

"I have nothing to do with this," Sumeragi said, "Allelujah, Lockon and I were discussing taking something similar to this but it was just a thought."

"Well apparently Veda took your thoughtless idea into consideration and now we're going to have to take time from our training because of some asinine conversation. Call the rest for a meeting right now."

"Tieria," Sumeragi said, "It's quarter of six in the morning. I am not going to call for a meeting right this minute. Go back to bed for a while, it's not good to wake up so early."

"On the contrary, it's not healthy to sleep in," Tieria said in his normal matter-of-fact tone, "It causes several different health problems."

"Shut up," Sumeragi said as she pulled the covers over her head, "Go away and let me sleep. We'll meet at nine, I'm sure you can find plenty to do in that time."

Tieria sighed, "I'll be waiting," he said as he walked out of the room.

"He's such a bully," Sumeragi said as she shut her eyes to get a bit more sleep.

* * *

Tieria was waiting rather impatiently when Sumeragi entered the briefing room.

"Before you say anything," Sumeragi said, "I'm two minutes early."

"You're still late in my book," Tieria said as he folded his arms across his chest, "You're supposed to be the first one here, not the last Sumeragi Li Noriega."

"Last time I checked, you weren't the one in charge Tieria Erde," Sumeragi said, "Well, let's get started then. Veda has decided that we need a little team building before we start our interventions. So we're going to go on a little vacation together."

"Oh awesome," Lockon cried, "Where are we going?"

"This is just ridiculous," Tieria said as he shut his eyes.

"We're going to Rhode Island," Sumeragi said.

"Where?" Allelujah asked.

"It's the smallest State in the United States of America," Sumeragi said, "And your reaction is why we're going there. It's small and it's inconspicuous. It will be hard to draw attention to ourselves there."

"Could we go up to Boston from there?" Lockon asked.

"Why Boston?" Allelujah asked.

"Because Boston is one of the best cities for drinking in the world," Lockon said, "This is going to be great! When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow," Sumeragi said.

"Tomorrow!" Tieria exclaimed.

"You heard me," Sumeragi said, "I suggest you all pack and go to bed early tonight. We will not be doing any training today either. You're dismissed."

Tieria looked completely appalled and he left the room without a word.

"I don't think he's happy," Lockon said.

"Hey it's what he gets for waking me up at five thirty this morning," Sumeragi said.

"He woke you up at five thirty?" Lockon asked.

"Yes he did," Sumeragi said, "So this little vacation is his little punishment, I will be making it official as soon as I get back to my room."

"You're writing him up?" Lockon asked.

"Oh yes I am," Sumeragi said, "He should know that you shouldn't enter someone's room without their permission, especially at five thirty in the morning."

"You do know that this isn't going to go over well with him," Lockon said.

"He can deal with it," Sumeragi said, "He should know better."

"Apparently he doesn't," Lockon said, "The kid is super smart but he's seriously lacking in the common sense department."

"Oh well," Sumeragi said as she walked off to her room, "He's just going to have to deal with his punishment."

* * *

Tieria was not happy when Sumeragi entered his room about an hour after the meeting. "What happened to needing permission to enter another person's room, Sumeragi Li Noriega?" he asked.

"I'm the head of this ship and you're just a Meister," Sumeragi retorted, "I don't need permission to enter your room." She handed the boy an envelope, "Here, that's for you."

Tieria cautiously took the envelope, "What is it?" He asked, "I'm not going on the trip, I'll take the shuttle and return to Krung Thep at Lagrange three."

"Then you'll receive consequences for disobeying orders," Sumeragi said, "_And _for ignoring a previously set sentence."

"A _what_!" Tieria asked.

"Read the paper and find out," Sumeragi said.

Tieria quickly read over the document in his hand, "You can't be serious?" He exclaimed, "You've written me up just because I entered your room without permission?"

"Yes I have," Sumeragi said, "And for waking me up at five thirty in the morning. And, for using Veda to gain access to another person's private quarters."

"You set those rules today!" Tieria yelled.

"Those rules are _implied_, Tieria," She said, "You got lucky this morning, I don't normally wear clothes to bed."

"Most people don't," Tieria said matter-of-factly, "They wear pajamas."

Sumeragi sighed, Tieria took everything literally, "Some people don't like wearing pajamas." She said.

"So they sleep in their undergarments?" He asked, "I guess that can be considered normal."

Sumeragi slapped herself in the forehead, "No Tieria," She said, "Some people don't even do that. I don't normally wear _any _clothes at all when I go to bed, undergarments included."

Tieria's eyes widened as he realized what she meant, "Why would _anyone _do such a thing?" he asked as he struggled for words.

"I couldn't tell you," Sumeragi said, "Now enough about what I wear, or choose _not _to wear to bed. Let's get back to the matter at hand, I feel as though the sentence will be enough to keep this out of your permanent file."

"My punishment is the trip!" Tieria yelled, "I'm not doing it! This is just some annoying little plan that _you _came up with so you could get me to agree to take time away from critical training exercises just so I can "get to know" my comrades!"

"Well then," Sumeragi said, "I guess you'll have a lot of explaining to do to Veda."

"What?" Tieria asked his voice much weaker than it had been.

Sumeragi sighed in victory, she struck a nerve with her last comment, "Veda agreed to the sentence and the reasoning behind it." She stated. She watched as Tieria paled and she knew that she had him right where she wanted him, "If you refuse to go on the trip and return to Krung Thep, you will be disobeying not only my orders, but Veda's orders as well. And I'll bet that whatever punishment I give to you for that will be far less severe than whatever Veda would sentence you to. But it's your decision, you can either sign the form and take your punishment or you can disregard the orders and suffer more severe consequences."

Tieria was at a complete loss for words. He was stuck between a week of hell putting up with his comrade so he could "get to know them" and disobeying orders that had been sent directly from Veda. Neither of the options seemed like something he wanted to do but the latter seemed much more abysmal. He reached for the pen that was sitting on his desk and he signed the form.

"Was that so hard?" Sumeragi asked, "Now I suggest you pack. It's summer in the Northeast Region of the United States, you might not want to wear what you normally do."

Tieria looked down at his normal outfit and Sumeragi had a point. A thick sweater and a long sleeved blouse was not proper attire for the oppressive summer months, "I'll see what I have," he said.

"We all need Summery clothes," Sumeragi said, "We can go shopping when we reach our destination."

Tieria sighed as Sumeragi left his room. He had a sinking feeling that things were going to go terribly wrong on the little trip and he really hoped that he would be wrong this time around.

* * *

T-chan, T-chan, T-chan, what are we going to do with you? Breaking into a woman's room at five in the morning, he really should know better but whatever. So what did you think? I know Setsuna didn't talk at all during this entire chapter but hey, it's Setsuna, what do you expect? So, what's in store for them in the Northeast Region of the U.S.? (I'm kinda from the Northeast Region of the U.S.) And what is the sinking feeling that Tieria has? Is it just him not wanting to go or is it something more?

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	2. It's Gonna be a LONG Trip

Konnichiwa minna-san! I'm back with the second chapter of this crazy little boredom induced fic. It would have been up sooner but it was a crazy week where it was one thing after another. So aside from that, I really have nothing more to say so after the disclaimer you can get started.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam 00, the characters or anything else to do with Gundam 00. But as long as I'm good and I don't traumatize Tieria too much, Veda is letting me borrow them for a bit.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Two: It's Gonna be a Long Trip

Tieria was not happy when he was woken up very, very early the next morning when the lights in his room suddenly turned on. He sighed as he slowly got out of his bed to get dressed. He had had a difficult time trying to find something to wear that wasn't long-sleeved or pink so in the end, he ended up borrowing a tee-shirt from Lockon. The only problem was the shirt was about three sizes too big for Tieria and, in his opinion, looked ridiculous. He then sighed and walked from the comfort of his room.

* * *

Lockon couldn't help but laugh as Tieria walked into the dining room with the over large tee-shirt barely clinging to his lithe body.

"Shut up," Tieria snapped as he grabbed a breakfast tray.

"Aw c'mon," Lockon said as he lightly punched Tieria in the upper arm, "I'm just playing with you."

"Well I don't find it all that amusing," Tieria said darkly, "So I suggest you stop."

"Alright," Sumeragi said as she entered the dining room followed by Feldt, Christina, Lichty and Lasse, "I really hope you're all well rested because it's going to be a long trip. Now, some rules for our little vacation. First off, we will be implementing the buddy system."

"The buddy system?" Tieria asked almost fearful of the answer, "What the hell is that?"

"I was _going _to get to that," Sumeragi said, "But _someone _interrupted me. With the buddy system, no one is allowed to go off on their own. If you want to break away from the group, you have to go with another person." She paused as Tieria sighed rather loudly, "Next, we'll be renting out two private beach houses. It's too risky to stay in a hotel. Lastly, Feldt, Christina and I will be staying in one beach house while the rest of you will be in the other. The curfew is twenty-three hundred, therefore no boys in the girl's house and no girls in the boy's house after that time. But I don't think that will be a problem. Any questions?"

"Do we really have to do this?" Tieria asked, "And why is the curfew so late?"

"I'm not going over that with you again," Sumeragi said, "You know the reasoning behind this. And it's a vacation Tieria, normal rules don't apply."

"What will we be doing there?" Allelujah asked.

"Well," Sumeragi said, "There's no real itinerary so we can do things spur of the moment if you want. Granted, there's not much in the region we're going to but I'm sure we can find some fun things to do there."

"Can we go shopping?" Christina asked enthusiastically.

"That's the first thing we're going to do," Sumeragi said, "Some of us," she shot a look at Tieria, "Need summer clothes…of their own."

"No one ever told me that we would be needing summer clothes for a mission like this!" Tieria snapped.

Sumeragi sighed. It was four thirty in the morning, she was physically awake but far from being mentally awake and she really didn't feel like arguing with Tieria, who seemed to be completely awake somehow, "Whatever," Sumeragi said.

"Ooh Sumeragi-san," Christina said, "Can I be in charge of getting Tieria-san new clothes?"

Tieria shot Sumeragi a look that read: "Don't you _DARE _say yes!"

"No Christina," Sumeragi said, "I think Tieria can pick out his own clothes."

"But just look at what he _normally _wears!" Christina exclaimed, "It's…it's…hideous!"

"What you wear isn't all that attractive either," Tieria said listlessly as he closed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest.

"But who wears a light pink cardigan with a light yellow blouse?" Christina said, "I wouldn't caught _dead _in that outfit!"

"I wouldn't be caught dead in your outfit either," Tieria said, "At least I match!"

"You know nothing of fashion!" Christina yelled.

"I can say the same about you," Tieria said calm as ever.

"Enough of this!" Sumeragi yelled it looked as though Christina was about to cry, "Tieria can pick out his own clothes but we have to approve of his choices. Goddammit I'm gonna need a vacation from the vacation!"

"Which is why this whole plan is a bad idea!" Tieria yelled.

"Tieria!" Sumeragi yelled back, "I don't care how much you hate the idea! We're going and that the end of it!"

"WILL EVERYONE _PLEASE _STOP YELLING!" Lockon yelled causing everyone to stare at him in silence, "Thank you."

Sumeragi sighed, "Thank you Lockon," Sumeragi said as she looked at her watch, "Now, I suggest you all finish up with breakfast because we're leaving in fifteen minutes."

Tieria sighed and stood up, "I've lost my appetite," He said as he threw what was left of his breakfast away, "I'll be in the shuttle if you need me."

"So," Allelujah said as he tried to break the thick silence in the room, "How long are we going to be there for?"

"Two weeks," Sumeragi said.

"Let's just hope that Tieria survives the next two weeks on Earth," Lockon said, "You know how he gets."

"It will be fine," Sumeragi said.

"No Gundam for two weeks?" Setsuna asked as he looked up from his sugary cereal.

Lockon sighed, "No Setsuna," Lockon said, "But don't worry, you'll be having so much fun the time will fly by before you know it."

Sumeragi sighed and checked her watch again, "Alright," She said, "Everybody to the shuttle, we're leaving in less than ten minutes."

* * *

When the rest of the crew got to the shuttle, Tieria was already sitting at the table with his head on his arms, his glasses in front of him and a pair of headphones covering his ears.

"I see someone already got comfortable," Christina said.

"Leave him alone," Sumeragi said, "I don't feel like listening to him scream at you again."

"I don't think anyone feels like listening to him scream at anyone again," Lockon said, "I don't know how he does it. It's not even five in the morning and Tieria has enough energy to yell and scream at everyone."

"Maybe he's a robot," Hallelujah said. Allelujah had fallen asleep standing up and Hallelujah took the liberty of taking over for him.

Sumeragi sighed. It was bad enough that they had to deal with an extremely cranky Tieria, she really didn't want to have to deal with Allelujah's homicidal alternate personality. "Tieria isn't a robot," She said.

"You never know," Hallelujah said, "I mean why else would he lock himself in his room for hours at a time and he didn't eat any of his breakfast today."

"Tieria's not a robot," Lockon said, "You've seen him eat before. If Tieria was a robot he wouldn't be able to eat."

"He may eat just to throw us off," Hallelujah said, "Then once he gets to his room he disposes of it."

"I am NOT a robot," Tieria said as he rubbed his eyes.

"Great you woke him up," Christina said.

"I was never asleep," Tieria said, "I was just resting."

"I didn't think that robots needed to rest," Hallelujah said.

"I thought I told you," Tieria said, "I am not a robot."

"That's what you want us to believe," Hallelujah said.

Tieria sighed and put his head back down. He just didn't have the energy to deal with Hallelujah, "Leave me alone."

"He admits it!" Hallelujah said.

"I AM _NOT _A ROBOT!" Tieria roared. "I swear to _god _if this wasn't a punishment I wouldn't be going."

"Wait a second," Hallelujah said in a sly tone that for some reason made everyone's skin crawl, "You mean to tell me that straight and narrow over here got written up for something? What did he do?"

"That is none of your business," Tieria snapped.

"Then how come every time one of us gets written up you immediately have to know every last detail about what we did?" Hallelujah said, "So tell me, what did you do?"

"I SAID IT'S NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!" Tieria roared. He then put his head back down and turned his music player up about as high as he could tolerate it.

"Alright," Sumeragi said as a massive headache started forming, "New rule, _no one _is to touch, look at, talk to or annoy Tieria in any way. Do you all understand? I do NOT want to hear him scream at people for the next seven hours."

"What happens if he falls asleep?" Lockon asked.

"Someone is going to have to wake him up," Sumeragi said and as soon as she did this Lockon, Hallelujah, Ian, Lasse, Lichty, Christina and Feldt put their index finger to their nose. Sumeragi sighed Setsuna had no idea what the rest of the crew was doing and he looked around confused, "Setsuna," She said, "Put your finger on your nose."

"Why?" Setsuna asked.

"Just do it," Sumeragi said as the youngest Meister listened to the odd command. Tieria and Setsuna were the only two who didn't know what that gesture meant and if it had been Tieria, she wouldn't have helped him out. "Fine, I'll wake Tieria when we get to the orbital station."

"Why did I have to do this?" Setsuna asked as he continued to touch his nose.

"Lockon," Sumeragi said, "Tell Setsuna what that means."

"Alright," Lockon said as he pulled Setsuna aside so that they wouldn't disturb Tieria, "So, when someone announces that something that is less than enjoyable has to be done, like waking Tieria for example, the last person to put their finger on their nose is the unlucky victim that has to do it. Do you understand it now?"

Setsuna gave Lockon a quizzical look, "I don't get it." He stated.

Lockon slapped himself in the forehead, "It's a little game," Lockon said, "Like drawing lots, jan-ken-pon, or the punch-buggy game."

"Oh," Setsuna said.

"So do you get it now?" Lockon asked.

"What's the punch-buggy game?" Setsuna asked.

"Never mind," Lockon said.

* * *

The rest of the trip to the orbital station was fairly uneventful. With the exception of Setsuna and Lockon's fifty-nine-round tie in jan-ken-pon, this had finally ended when Hallelujah threatened to break their hands. And much to Sumeragi's relief, Tieria, who had in fact fallen asleep during the trip, had woken up before they got to the station.

"So," Sumeragi said just before they boarded the linear train, "I want the four Meisters in one cabin, the bridge crew in another and Ian and I get our own." She looked towards the Meisters, "If there happens to be _any _problems, the person who caused said problems will face some consequences. Do I make myself clear?" The four Meisters nodded, "Alright then, see you all on the surface."

* * *

About halfway to the surface, Hallelujah got bored. Setsuna and Lockon had retreated to a little handheld video game and Tieria had once again fallen asleep listening to music. From what Hallelujah could hear Tieria, despite his horrible taste in fashion and practically everything else, had pretty good taste in music. But it wasn't quite loud enough for his liking and he got an idea. He needed to introduce Tieria to a new genre of music and he knew just how to do it.

He took out his music player, disconnected the headphones, selected the loudest song he had on the device turned the volume up to full and hit pause. He then reached over to Tieria's music player, which had floated out of the boy's hand when he had fallen asleep, unplugged it from the headphones and plugged them into his music player.

"Hallelujah," Lockon said as he looked up from his game, "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," Hallelujah said, "I noticed that his music player came unplugged. I was just plugging it back in."

"Okay," Lockon said, "Just don't wake him. I don't want to deal with that."

"I won't," Hallelujah said, /But this song will/ He though maliciously as he hit play.

Tieria's reaction was definitely worth the potential punishment. He screamed and jumped up causing him to hit his head on the ceiling of the cabin. He then flung the headphones off, "YOU IDIOT!" He roared as Hallelujah laughed, "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR!"

"Your music wasn't loud enough for my tastes," Hallelujah said, "So I thought that I would introduce you to the world of heavy metal."

"What the hell is going on in here?" Sumeragi asked as Tieria pointed at Hallelujah, visibly shaking with rage.

"Hallelujah woke me up," Tieria said as he rubbed his now aching head, "By blasting music in my ears."

"What did I tell you on the shuttle?" Sumeragi asked.

"You told us a lot of things on the shuttle," Hallelujah said, "What _thing_ would you be talking about?"

Sumeragi sighed, "The not annoying Tieria thing," She said.

"I thought that was just for the shuttle ride," Hallelujah said.

"It pertains to the whole damn trip!" Sumeragi yelled.

"Oops," Hallelujah said, "Guess I didn't catch that part."

"Come with me," Sumeragi said, "You're spending the rest of the trip with Ian and me. But first, give Tieria his music player back."

"How did you know this was his?" Hallelujah asked.

"Because your music player isn't purple and black," Sumeragi said, "It's _orange _and black."

"Fine, fine," Hallelujah said as he took his music player from Tieria and returned the purple one to its rightful owner.

"Come on," Sumeragi said as she left the cabin, "I didn't think I would have to babysit the four Meisters."

"Are you alright Tieria?" Lockon asked as Tieria continued to rub his head.

"My head hurts," Tieria said.

"Let me see," Lockon said as he carefully inspected the area where Tieria had hit his head on the ceiling, "You've got a nice sized bump there but that's about it. Just ice it for a bit when we get to the surface and you'll be fine. But if you start getting dizzy or nauseous tell one of us."

Tieria nodded and put his headphones back on, "Just what was that that Hallelujah woke me up to exactly?" He asked.

"It's called death metal," Lockon said.

"And what the hell is that?"

"It's a style of rock music where the singer screams about death and is usually accompanied with almost eardrum-shattering guitar, bass and drum lines." Lockon said, "It's definitely not one of the most pleasing types of music out there."

"Who the hell would want to listen to that?" Tieria asked.

"Hallelujah apparently," Lockon said, "And little twelve year olds who are screaming for attention by acting Goth."

"I don't understand it," Tieria said.

"Join the club," Lockon said, "I think my brother listened to it for a while before he ran away to boarding school."

"You shouldn't be talking about your life before you became a Meister," Tieria said, "It goes against the code of secrecy."

"Yeah I know," Lockon said, "But he ran away over ten years ago and I haven't seen him since. And anyway, Tieria, It's not like I'll ever see him again."

"That's true," Tieria said, "But you still shouldn't do it."

"Relax would you?" Lockon said as Tieria shut his eyes again, "We only have another hour or so until we get to the surface so try not to fall asleep again."

"I know," Tieria said, "And anyway after what Hallelujah had me listen to, I don't think I could fall back to sleep."

* * *

The rest of the trip to the surface was quiet and uneventful. Lockon and Setsuna had gone back to their video games and Tieria went back to listening to his music and turned to one of his favorite pastimes, reading. When they got out into the station they were greeted by Sumeragi, Ian, and a very confused Allelujah.

"Good," Tieria said, "He's back to normal."

"Tieria," Allelujah said, "I'm sorry for whatever Hallelujah did to you while I was asleep."

Tieria crossed his arms in front of his chest, "You really need to control him better." He said.

"I try," Allelujah said, "But there's no controlling him."

Tieria sighed. He knew that Allelujah couldn't help what his other personality did but it was still frustrating. "Well, try harder," He snapped.

"Yes Tieria," Allelujah mumbled.

"So how are we getting to Rhode Island?" Lockon asked.

"Wang Liu Mei set up a private jet for us," Sumeragi said.

"How much longer are we going to be traveling for?" Christina asked.

"Another four hours or so," Sumeragi said.

Christina groaned, "Forget shopping," She said, "I'm going straight to bed after this."

"Hello everyone," A teenage girl with long black hair greeted, "I see you got here safely."

"Wang Liu Mei," Sumeragi greeted.

"Is everybody ready?" She asked, "My agents have worked out every last detail of your trip. We've rented three cars for you to use. The two beach houses are in an almost secluded part of the coast line."

"Thank you Wang Liu Mei," Sumeragi said.

"Well come on," Wang Liu Mei said, "I'm sure you're all exhausted."

The group then followed the teenager to her private jet for the final leg of their long journey.

* * *

Poor Tieria. First it was him vs. Christina over fashion, then it was him vs. Hallelujah and the whole robot bit and _then _it was him vs. Hallelujah again with the music. Luckily he (sorta) has Sumeragi on his side. I love writing Hallelujah, it's so much fun, especially when he's arguing with Tieria. So what kind of music do you think Tieria would listen to? I've been thinking about it a lot and I can't seem to figure it out. Well, let me know what you thought and I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can. Until next time minna-san!

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	3. Please, No More Trains

Konnichiwa minna-san! I'm back and I'm sorry for the wait…things have been crazy. I don't have much to say about this aside from the names of the Stations and Trains I use in this chapter are all real and they belong to their respected owners. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam 00, the characters or anything else to do with Gundam 00. But as long as I'm good and I don't traumatize Tieria too much, Veda is letting me borrow them for a bit.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Three: Please, No More Trains…

The first thing Tieria noticed when they landed at the airport in Boston was that it was hot. And it was a major understatement to say that it was just hot. It was the kind of sultry, oppressive hot that made him feel almost faint in just a few minutes.

"So," He asked as he broke into a sweat, "If we're staying in Rhode Island, then why did we land in Boston? Wouldn't it have made more sense to land in _Rhode Island_?"

"The airport in Rhode Island doesn't allow any international flights, private or otherwise," Wang Liu Mei said, "So we had to land in Boston."

"How are we getting to Rhode Island?" Neil asked.

"You'll be taking a train," Wang Liu Mei said, "However to get to the station you'll need to take a few subways. I've already arranged for your luggage to be brought to the beach houses by another agent."

"Couldn't we just get the agent to bring us to the houses themselves?" Tieria asked as he started to fan himself with his book.

"There are too many of you," The teenager explained. She then pulled out several cards, "Here, take these. This is for the subway, as well as the buses and ferries here in Boston. It's a fare card and I've had them preloaded from unlimited use for the two weeks you'll be here."

"Two weeks?" Tieria asked sounding appalled, "We're here for two weeks?"

"Yes," Sumeragi said, "Deal with it Tieria."

"There are signs leading to the subway terminal here," Wang Liu Mei said as she handed Sumeragi a packet of papers, "Here are your train tickets. To get to the station from here take the blue line to Government Center, then take the green line to Park Street then the red line to South Station."

"Thank you," Sumeragi said as she took the papers, "Well come on." She called as she turned to the crew and Meisters, "We're almost there."

* * *

The first subway train they took wasn't too crowded but when they transferred to the green line things were nearly uncomfortable. There weren't enough seats for everyone and Tieria, Lockon and Allelujah were left standing. It was right then and there that Tieria decided he didn't like the subway one bit.

The train stopped short before the station causing Tieria to pitch forwards into Allelujah then fall back into Lockon.

"Careful there Tieria," Allelujah said as he helped Tieria regain his footing.

"You okay Tieria?" Lockon asked as he too helped steady the smaller pilot, "I wasn't expecting you to fly forwards like that. I thought your reflexes were better than that."

"Well I wasn't expecting the train to stop so suddenly!" Tieria snapped. They hadn't even gotten to their destination and he already wanted to go back to the Ptolemaios. The train then started suddenly causing Tieria to once again fall into Lockon.

"Maybe you should try to find a seat," Lockon said as he steadied Tieria.

"There's no point," Tieria snapped as the train stopped again, "We're at the station."

"Okay," Sumeragi said, "Now we need to find the red line."

"I found it Sumeragi-san," Christina called, "But do we need the Red line to Alewife or Ashmont?"

"Good question," Sumeragi said, "Someone find a map that we can look at."

"I think you want the Red line to Ashmont or Braintree," Feldt said.

"Okay," Sumeragi said, "Well let's get going."

"Must we take another subway?" Tieria complained.

"You could always walk, Tieria," Sumeragi said, "It's only two kilometers but it's about thirty-four degrees out. So make your choice, either take the subway or walk to South Station."

Tieria sighed. He didn't fare well in the heat at all and he knew that the odds of him passing out before he reached the station were high, "Fine," He snapped, "I'll take the subway."

"There's only one stop between here and our destination," Feldt said, "And the red line trains are longer than the green line trains."

"What kind of train are we taking to Rhode Island?" Christina asked.

"We're taking a train called the Acela," Sumeragi said as she looked at the tickets, "Apparently it's the country's oldest high speed train."

They boarded the red and sliver train and Lockon forced Tieria into a seat, "Sit," He said.

"But…" Tieria tried to argue as he tried to stand.

Lockon pushed him back into the seat, "After what happened on the last subway, there's no way in hell I'm letting you stand," He said, "We don't need you to fall and get hurt not even twelve hours into our vacation." Tieria once again tried to stand up but he was once again pushed down, "I will stand here for the entire ride with my hand on your shoulder if I have to."

Tieria sighed in defeat, "Fine," He muttered.

* * *

"I read that this station was built in 1899," Feldt said as they took a seat in the mezzanine level of South Station, "And that it hasn't been changed much at all since 1999."

"It's really beautiful," Christina said as she sipped on a coffee drink she had purchased there.

"There is _nothing _to eat here!" Tieria exclaimed as he sat down at the table, "Absolutely nothing!"

"There's stuff to eat here," Lockon said as he unwrapped a hamburger, "You just won't eat any of it."

"You shouldn't be eating that garbage," Tieria said as he folded his arms across his chest, "It's not healthy."

"It may not be healthy," Lockon said, "But it's damn good."

"We will NOT be eating like this for the entire duration of this trip!" Tieria exclaimed, "It's not…!"

"Oh shut _up_!" Hallelujah yelled as he shoved a french fry into Tieria's mouth, "None of us feel up to listening to you bitch for the next fourteen days!"

Tieria spit the French fry out, "That's disgusting!" He exclaimed, "How can any of you eat that?"

"Easy," Hallelujah said as he picked up his hamburger, "Like this!" He took a large bit of the messy sandwich, "Man, you don't know what you're missing."

"Alright," Sumeragi said before Tieria and Hallelujah could get into another fight, "Finish up you two our train is going to be called shortly."

"_Attention passengers,_" An automated PA system called about ten minutes later, _"The 1:45 pm Amtrak Acela Express to Washington D.C. Union Station is now boarding on track nine. This train will make the following station stops: Back Bay, Route 128, Providence, Rhode Island, New London, Connecticut, New Haven, Connecticut, Stamford Connecticut, New York- Penn Station, New York, Newark New Jersey, Trenton New Jersey, Philadelphia Thirtieth Street Station, Pennsylvania, Wilmington Delaware, Baltimore Maryland, And Washington D.C.. Passengers are only allowed two pieces of carry-on luggage. Please have your tickets and proper identification ready and only ticketed passengers are allowed to board the train. The 1:45 pm Amtrak Acela Express to Washington D.C. Union Station is now boarding on track nine."_

"Well come on," Sumeragi said as she stood up, "That's our train."

* * *

It didn't take long for the group to board the train. It wasn't a peak hour train so there weren't many people taking the train.

"How long is it going to take us to get to Providence?" Christina asked as she took a seat next to Feldt.

"Not long at all," Sumeragi said, "I'm guessing not even half an hour."

"Oh good," Christina said, "I really want to take a nice nap."

"You okay Tieria?" Lockon asked as he sat next to Tieria, who was holding his head.

"It's just the heat," Tieria said, "I'll be alright."

"Alright," Lockon said, "You did hit you head pretty hard on the linear train. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah," Tieria said softly, "Like I said. It's from the heat."

"Alright," Lockon said, "Just let me know if you start feeling sick okay?

Tieria nodded and shut his eyes. He was ready for another nap but the train ride wasn't going to be long enough. He was hot, tired, hungry and his head hurt. He was happy that the train was air conditioned and quiet unlike the last three trains there weren't many people boarding. He shut his eyes, just for a few minutes he told himself.

* * *

"_Tieria…Tieria…Come on Tieria wake up!"_

He moaned and opened his eyes, "Lockon…"

"Hey sleepy-head," Lockon greeted, "We've got about two minutes until we get to Providence. So hurry up and wake up a bit. You can sleep in the car on the way to our Destination if you want."

Tieria nodded and sat up. "I didn't mean to fall asleep," He muttered tiredly.

"Hey it happens," Lockon said, "We were up early today."

"_Attention passengers," _The conductor called through the train's intercom system, _"We are now arriving at Providence Station. We will be making a quick stop to allow passengers on and off the train. Those passengers wishing to disembark here may move to the nearest door to exit the train and we thank you for choosing The Amtrak Acela express. Have a nice day, we hope to see you again."_

"Well come on," Lockon said as he helped a still groggy Tieria stand up, "We're almost there."

They got off the train and met up with Sumeragi and the others.

"Is everyone here?" She asked as she made a quick head count, "Alright. Wang Liu Mei has arranged for us to be picked up outside the station. Our ride should already be here so let's hurry…Tieria are you alright?" She asked as she noticed the Meister sitting on the floor.

"It's too hot," Tieria muttered as Lockon helped him up, "I'm not used to this…"

"Take it easy then," Sumeragi said, "Come on let's go upstairs."

* * *

Just as Sumeragi said, Wang Liu Mei's escort was already waiting for them in front of the station.

"Tieria, Lockon, Setsuna and Allelujah," Sumeragi said, "Can I trust the four of you in one car? I don't want to have the driver pull over because you started fighting."

"Don't worry," Lockon said as he got in the front, "You can trust us."

"Alright," Sumeragi said, "Alright Bridge Crew, you get in the next car Ian and I will be in the last car. See you all at the house!"

* * *

"Lockon…" Tieria mumbled about ten minutes into the car trip, "Can we switch? I'm feeling a bit nauseous…"

Lockon looked at the driver, "Could we find somewhere to pull over quickly?" he asked. The drive nodded and pulled over, "Are you alright Tieria?" He asked as the smaller Meister got out of the car, "Do you think you have a concussion from hitting your head?"

"It's not a concussion," Tieria said, "The car ride is making me nauseous…"

"I don't believe it!" Lockon exclaimed, "You're car sick! What the hell kinda pilot are you? You can do all sorts of crazy maneuvers in a mobile suit no problem but a car ride makes you sick. I don't get it!"

"What's wrong?" Sumeragi asked as the car she was in pulled up behind the other car.

"Tieria's feeling a bit car sick right now," Lockon said, "We were just switching places."

"Do you want to come with us Tieria?" Sumeragi asked, "There's more room in our car. You can even sit in the front if you want."

Tieria nodded and followed Sumeragi to the last car and got in the front seat. "Thank you," He mumbled.

"Here," Sumeragi said as she handed a few plastic bags to Tieria, "Just in case."

* * *

The rest of the car ride was uneventful. Tieria's stomach was still uneasy but the nausea didn't flare up again.

"You should eat something Tieria," Sumeragi said as they got out of the car, "You didn't eat much at breakfast and you haven't eaten anything else all day. That might be why your stomach is sick. I can make you a sandwich once we get inside if you want."

Tieria nodded as he entered the larger of the two houses. He was quite thankful that it was cooler than it had been in Boston and Providence.

"Wow this place is nice," Lockon said as he entered the house, "Are you feeling better Tieria?"

"A little bit," Tieria muttered as he sat down at the little island they had in the kitchen.

"You're probably hungry," Lockon said as he started taking the bread and lunch meat out, "You like turkey right?"

"I can make myself a sandwich," Tieria said as he tried to take the bread from Lockon's hand.

"Knowing you," Lockon said, "You'll find a way to set it on fire. I'll make the sandwiches. Setsuna, Allelujah do you want a sandwich?"

"Sure," Allelujah said.

"Okay," Setsuna said.

After a quick meal Tieria stood up, "I'm going to go lie down for a while," He said. The sandwich had helped to settle his stomach but he was still tired.

"Okay," Lockon said, "Is your stomach feeling better?"

"Yeah," Tieria said, "I'm just tired now."

"Okay," Lockon said, "Sleep well."

Tieria walked to the room he had been assigned. He took his shoes off, flopped down on the bed and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

So to answer the question of "Will this be a torture Tieria fic," yes, yes it will be a torture Tieria fic. Poor Tieria he's already having a hard time and they're not even a day into their little vacation, he nearly fell on the Subway the heat's bothering him there's nothing good to eat in South Station (which is a real place by the way so are all the Subway stops they went to.) _And _he gets car sick (sorry I had to…) Like I mentioned all the places mentioned are real places, I don't own them, or Amtrak or the Amtrak Acela (I spend way too much time at South Station...)It's December Ninth you know what that means Happy "Birthday" T-chan! Until next time! Je ne!

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	4. But I Don't Want To

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I'm sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter up! I've been extremely busy with school and stuff but cram week is over and I finally had time to get this done! I don't think the wait for the next chapter will be quite as long. So enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam 00, the characters or anything else to do with Gundam 00. But as long as I'm good and I don't traumatize Tieria too much, Veda is letting me borrow them for a bit.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Four: But I Don't Want To!

Tieria was not happy when Sumeragi pulled him from his little nap.

"What do you want?" He moaned tiredly.

"Get up," Sumeragi ordered, "We're going shopping."

"I won't be going," Tieria said, "I'm tired."

"No," Sumeragi said, "You're coming. You need clothes."

"I don't want to come," Tieria said as he turned so his back was to Sumeragi, "I want to sleep."

"Now Tieria!" Sumeragi ordered, "I will get one of the others to physically drag you out of bed if I have to!"

"I don't feel well," Tieria muttered, "I'm tired and I just want to sleep."

"We're all tired Tieria," Sumeragi said, "Do you think I want to go shopping after the day I had? I don't okay but we all need summer clothes, especially you. So come on…NOW TIERIA!"

Tieria sighed and sat up, "I don't see why this can't wait until tomorrow," he said as he replaced his glasses, "We've all been up since before five this morning does anyone really feel like shopping?"

"Yeah actually," Sumeragi said, "You're the only one who doesn't want to go. Come on Tieria we were going to go when we first got here but we decided to let you sleep for a few hours."

Tieria sighed as he got out of bed, "How long is this going to take?" He asked as he slipped his shoes back on.

"It will take as long as it needs to," Sumeragi said, "Now let's go!" She then followed Tieria out of the room, "How about we compromise I'll limit the trip to two hours how about that?"

"That's a compromise?" Tieria asked.

"Chris will literally spend two hours in one store if you let her," Sumeragi said, "How about this, if you stay here, I will allow Chris to pick out your outfits _and_ I will turn off the air conditioning. So it's either come shopping with us or you can stay here, deal with the heat and Christina will pick out your clothes."

"Fine," Tieria said, "I'll come shopping."

"The mall we're going to has a pretty big bookstore," Sumeragi said, "When you're done shopping for clothes, you can spend the rest of your time there if you want to."

"Will I be able to purchase some books if I want to?" Tieria asked. He had only brought two books with him and he was nearly done with one of them.

"If it will make you come willingly then go right ahead," Sumeragi said.

"Did you sleep well Tieria?" Lockon asked as Tieria and Sumeragi walked into the living room area.

"Yeah," Tieria said.

"How are your head and stomach feeling?"

"My stomach is fine," Tieria said, "But my head is still a little painful."

"That's good," Lockon said, "So are we ready to go now?"

"Yes," Sumeragi said, "Tieria, you need to sit in the front right?"

"Yeah," Tieria said.

"Okay," Sumeragi said, "You can come with Ian and I then. Lasse, Lockon you two can drive right?"

The two men nodded.

"Alright," Sumeragi said as she handed a short list to Tieria, "This is what you're expected to buy."

Tieria sighed as he read the list. He was to buy at least three pairs of shorts, five short sleeved shirts, a pair of sneakers, and a bathing suit. And written in very bold, capitalized letters read: "NOTHING PINK!"

"I don't understand why people make such a fuss about the colors I choose to wear," He said.

"You hate it when people mistake you for a woman, don't you?" Lockon said. Tieria nodded, "Well, when you wear pink it makes it easier for that to happen. Men generally tend to avoid the color pink. And anyway wearing pastel colors will only make you look more like a girl." Lockon realized the mistake he made as he watched Tieria's hand swiftly approaching his face, "Shit…" he muttered as Tieria slapped him rather hard across the face.

"That's enough of that," Tieria snapped, "We should go. The sooner we leave the sooner this nightmare is one day closer to ending."

"Aw, what's the matter Erde?" Hallelujah asked, "Are you still mad that you got in trouble?"

"Shut up!" Tieria snapped as he walked from the house and towards the cars.

"Hallelujah please," Sumeragi said as she followed Tieria, "He's tired and therefore he's going to be in a bad mood. Could you leave him alone? I really don't feel like hearing him freak out on someone every ten minutes."

"Fine, fine," Hallelujah sighed, "I'll leave him alone."

"Thanks," Sumeragi said.

"For now anyways…" Hallelujah smirked.

* * *

"Lockon," Sumeragi said when they got to the mall, "Once Tieria feels well enough will you help him pick out his outfits?"

"Yeah," Lockon said as he walked up to the rather pale Meister, "You got carsick again?" Tieria nodded, "And just based on how awful you look right now, you threw up didn't you?" Tieria shook his head, "I know you probably feel pretty sick right now but you should eat something. You might be over-hungry. We've been up for over twelve hours and all you've had to eat was a sandwich."

"I'm feeling a little better now," Tieria said as he slowly stood up. However a wave of lightheadedness washed over him and he nearly fell.

"You need to eat," Lockon said as he steadied Tieria, "Come on. We're going to the food court first. You're probably dehydrated."

Tieria sighed. He didn't have the energy to argue with Lockon. And he had a feeling that the older Meister was right. He usually ate about four small meals a day but he had only eaten one small meal that day.

* * *

"So what do you want?" Lockon asked as they finally made it to the food court, "I know they probably don't have what you want but you're going to have to deal with that. There's a sandwich place it looks like do you want that?"

Tieria nodded, "Is it a made to order place?" he asked.

"Looks like it," Lockon said, "What do you want?"

"Just a turkey and cheese with everything," Tieria said, "Toasted. With a water to drink."

"Okay," Lockon said as he walked off.

"Ah Tieria!" Allelujah called as he and Setsuna approached the table, "Are you feeling better?"

"A little bit," Tieria said, "I think I'm just a little over hungry."

"Yeah," Allelujah said, "You didn't eat that much today. I'm sure after you eat something you'll feel better. Where's Lockon?"

"He went to get me something to eat," Tieria said, "I'm still a little dizzy. If you two want to go get something to eat I'm fine watching the table."

Setsuna nodded and walked towards a fast food taco place.

"You know what, Erde," Hallelujah said just before walking off to the burger place, "You're not half bad when you're not bitching about this, that and the other. Or when you're just too damn tired to give a shit. Perhaps we should deprive you of sleep more often."

Tieria sighed as Hallelujah walked off.

"You look angry," Lockon said as he placed the sandwich in front of Tieria, "What's up?"

"Allelujah's other personality," Tieria growled.

"Yeah," Lockon said, "He does seem to like picking on you."

"Don't remind me…"

"Well…" Lockon said nervously, "I'm going to get my food." When Tieria was in a bad mood talking to him was literally like disarming a bomb. If you said the wrong thing to him, he would completely blow up in your face and you would _never_ hear the end of it. And unfortunately for them, Tieria was almost always in a bad mood.

Tieria sighed as he turned to his supper and slowly started eating.

* * *

Just as Lockon had said, once he was finished eating, Tieria felt much better.

"Are you all set Tieria?" Lockon asked.

"Yeah," He said as he stood up, "I think you were right. I was probably just over hungry. We should probably get to what we came here to do. I don't want to spend all night here and I need more books."

"Okay, okay," Lockon said as he went to throw his trash away.

"You two should get going as well," Tieria said, "I _don't_ want to be here longer than we have to."

"Aw man," Hallelujah whined, "He's back to his normal bitchy self. But I guess no matter what we do Erde's always going to be in a shitty mood."

"Will you cut it out?" Tieria exclaimed causing several people to stare at him.

"Will you shut up?" Hallelujah exclaimed back.

"Will you two please stop yelling?" Lockon called, "People are staring!"

"Let them stare," Hallelujah said as Tieria gasped in embarrassment.

"Let's go," Tieria said as he rushed away from the food court.

"Okay, okay," Lockon said, "We'll see you guys in a few hours. Tieria's on the war path…again."

Allelujah waved. He then winced as the sharp sound of someone's hand roughly hitting another person's face was heard. "Poor Lockon," Allelujah said, "He has to put up with a cranky Tieria for the next two hours."

_"Better him than us._" Hallelujah said.

* * *

"So where do you want to go to get clothes?" Lockon asked.

"I don't care," Tieria said.

"We'll start here," Lockon said as he led Tieria into a department store, "Then if we need to, we can go elsewhere."

"I want to get all my shopping done in one place," Tieria said, "I don't want to spend any more time here than we need to. I'm exhausted and I need a few more books."

"Okay, okay," Lockon said as he led Tieria to the young men's department, "Now we just need to figure out what size you wear. Tieria," He said as he found a size chart, "How tall are you and how much to do you weigh?"

"I'm one hundred seventy-seven centimeters and sixty-one kilograms," Tieria said.

Lockon looked at the size chart, "What the hell is this chart?" Lockon exclaimed, "What the hell are inches and pounds?"

Tieria walked up to the chart, "According to this I'm in a small," He said, "Lockon you would be between a medium and a large."

"Thanks for the help Tieria," Lockon said.

Tieria nodded and quickly grabbed three pairs of shorts like Sumeragi had told him to, "I'm going to try this on," He called to Lockon.

"You're done already?" Lockon asked as he looked over at Tieria. Sure enough Tieria had three pairs of shorts in his hands, "That was fast."

"I want to get this done as soon as possible," Tieria said, "I need books."

"Okay, okay, that's fine," Lockon said as Tieria hurried off again, "Man, for kid who complains about being exhausted he sure has a lot of energy."

A few minutes later Lockon watched as Tieria grabbed three short-sleeved blouses and two regular tee-shirts, "Jeez, kid," Lockon said, "Slow down. We still have an hour and a half left…"

"I'm going to check out," Tieria called, "I'll be at the bookstore!"

"Okay, okay," Lockon said, "I'll meet you there in a little bit."

* * *

Tieria was very glad to get to the bookstore. He could pick out a few books and sit down for a while enjoying the smell of paper and ink. He carefully picked out seven books. He could read about one book in about two days.

He brought the books over to a table and sat down. He picked up one of the books and started reading.

* * *

"So are we ready to head home?" Sumeragi asked after their shopping trip.

"I'm all worn out!" Christina said.

"Hold on," Lockon said, "We're missing someone. Where's Tieria?"

"Dammit!" Hallelujah screamed, "I was hoping that no one would notice!"

"I bet he's still at the bookstore," Lockon said, "And I bet he fell asleep."

"We should go get him," Sumeragi said, "The mall is going to close soon."

* * *

Tieria wasn't sure how much time had passed when he felt someone shaking him awake. He slowly opened his eyes and found Lockon in front of him. "Lockon…" he muttered tiredly, "What is it?"

"We're ready to go," Lockon said as he helped Tieria collect the books, "Are you getting all of these?"

"Yes," Tieria said.

"Okay," Lockon said, "Let's go."

* * *

"Oh good," Sumeragi said as Lockon returned with Tieria, "_Now_ we're ready to go."

"What do you mean by now?" Tieria asked.

Sumeragi smiled sheepishly, "We nearly forgot you," she said.

"You nearly _forgot_ me?" Tieria exclaimed.

"You can bitch about it later Erde," Hallelujah said, "The rest of us want to go back."

"Fine," Tieria snapped as he got in the front seat of one of the cars and put his music player on.

"Come on let's go," Sumeragi said, "We're all tired."

* * *

It was a quite ride back to the beach houses however when they got to the houses it was a different story.

"I'm going to take a shower then I'm going straight to bed," Tieria snapped, "I don't want to woken up for any reason tomorrow!"

"Okay then if the houses are burning down and you're still asleep, we'll just let you burn with them," Hallelujah said, "Nice knowing you Erde."

"Obviously you can wake me for that reason!"

"But you just said…"

"I KNOW WHAT I SAID!" Tieria screamed.

"Tieria!" Sumeragi screamed, "Bed, NOW! Hallelujah, let Allelujah take over, NOW!"

"Alright, alright," Hallelujah said, "Good night, Captain Hotpants."

"Allelujah is there anything you do can about Hallelujah?" Sumeragi asked after Tieria stromed out of the room, "I really don't feel like listening to him fight with Tieria for the next two weeks."

"There's no controlling him," Allelujah said, "Well I'm going to head to bed myself. Do you have any idea what we're going to do tomorrow?"

"Lockon wants to go to Boston so we may do that," Sumeragi said, "The only thing that worries me is it will be about thirty-four degrees tomorrow. Tieria can't handle the heat."

"If we do go to Boston tomorrow I'll keep my eye on Tieria," Allelujah said, "I'll make sure the heat doesn't make him sick and if the heat does make him sick I'll take care of him."

"Thank you Allelujah," Sumeragi said, "You should probably get to bed as well."

"Okay," Allelujah said, "Good night Sumeragi-san."

Sumeragi sighed as she returned to the girl's house. /It's only been a day and things are already crazy/ She thought, /Let's hope things calm down in the next thirteen days…/

* * *

Oh their all in for it….That was just their first day. What are the next thirteen days going to be like? They almost forgot Tieria at the book store I bet Hallelujah would have liked that. So the next chapter will be the Boston chapter and I will be showcasing the typical Bawstin (Boston pronounced by a Bostonian) accent…(sorry I'm kinda from the region…) Well until next time minna-san! Ja ne!

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	5. Trouble in Boston

Konnichiwa Minna-san! This chapter was harder for me to write than I thought it was going to be. But I still got it done and holy crap it's longer than I thought it was going to be. I don't have much else to say about this chapter for now so enjoy! Oh and I apologize in advance for the Boston accent it's…well, you'll find out.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam 00, the characters or anything else to do with Gundam 00. But as long as I'm good and I don't traumatize Tieria too much, Veda is letting me borrow them for a bit.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Five: Trouble in Boston

Tieria was rather irritated when he woke up to someone knocking at his door. He got out of bed and opened the door.

"I thought I told you that I didn't want to be woken up for _any_ reason today!" He snapped.

"I just wanted to let you know that we're going to Boston today," Lockon said, "We're leaving in ten minutes. I was told that if you don't want to go, the air conditioning will be turned off."

Tieria sighed and just about slammed the door in Lockon's face.

"We're leaving in ten minutes!" Lockon called.

"I heard you the first time!" Tieria yelled back.

Lockon sighed as he walked back into the kitchen, "He did not take that well," Lockon said.

"Is he going to come with us?" Sumeragi asked.

"I don't know," Lockon said, "He didn't give me an answer. He just slammed the door in my face."

Sumeragi sighed, "One way or another we were going to tick him off," She said, "He's ticked off because we woke him up and he would have been ticked off if we left him here."

"I look at it this way," Hallelujah said, "Erde is _always_ going to be pissed off. So there's no point in trying to do anything to appease him. I would have left him here and I would have turned the heat on never mind just turning off the air conditioning. I would have let him suffer in the heat."

"That's not a very nice thing to say about one of your comrades," Lockon said.

"I have to agree," Tieria said as he entered the kitchen.

"Tieria," Sumeragi said, "You might want to wear a pair of shorts. It's supposed to be thirty-six degrees in Boston today. You might want to wear sunscreen as well Tieria. You have very fair skin and I don't think you want to get sunburned."

Tieria nodded and returned to his room.

"You _had _to tell him that?" Hallelujah said.

"Tieria is already going to be in a bad mood for the next two weeks," Sumeragi said, "We don't need him to get sunburned on top of it."

"Is this better?" Tieria asked as he reentered the kitchen wearing a pair of khaki shorts.

"Yes," Sumeragi responded, "Now come on. If we want to make it on time we need to leave now."

"I haven't had breakfast yet," Tieria said.

"You're going to have to wait," Sumeragi said, "We don't have time. Your train is leaving in less than an hour."

"You should have woken me up earlier!" Tieria snapped.

"If I recall correctly Erde," Hallelujah said, "_Someone_ told us not to wake you up for any reason."

Tieria opened his mouth but didn't say anything, Hallelujah had him there.

"Yes!" Hallelujah cried, "I finally beat Erde in an argument!"

"You can celebrate later," Sumeragi said, "For now let Allelujah take over. I have something that I need to ask him."

Hallelujah dipped his head, "What do you need, Sumeragi-san?" Allelujah asked as he looked up.

Sumeragi pulled him into another room, "It's going to be a lot warmer than they said it was going to be," She said, "I need you to keep your eye on Tieria today. The moment he starts showing even the slightest hint of a heat-related illness I want you to get him on the first train back here."

"I will," Allelujah said, "But why aren't you telling Lockon this?"

"Because I have a funny feeling that he's going to go to at least one bar," Sumeragi said, "And in the off chance that he has a little too much to drink, I want someone else looking out for Tieria."

"Okay," Allelujah said, "I can do that."

"Thank you," Sumeragi said as she walked back into the kitchen, "Are we all ready to go?"

"Yup," Lockon said enthusiastically, "I can't wait! What kind of train are we taking up there?"

"The local train," Sumeragi said, "It's known simply as the T."

"Why do they call it "The T?"" Lockon asked as they left the house, "That seems like an odd thing to call a train."

"It's referred to as "The T" due to the large letter "T" in a circle that was adopted as the logo for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority," Feldt said, "It's been referred to as "The T" since the 1960s."

"Someone did their homework," Lockon said.

"Alright," Sumeragi said, "You're going to be in two groups. Bridge crew, Lasse, Lichty, Feldt Christ, Feldt and Ian, you're one group. Meisters, Setsuna, Lockon, Allelujah and Tieria, you guys are the other group. Have fun everyone!"

* * *

"You call this a station?" Tieria asked as they got to their destination, "It's just two platforms!"

"A lot of the MBTA station stops are like this," Feldt said.

"Tieria," Allelujah said, "Did you put sunscreen on?

"Yes," Tieria said.

"You should probably reapply it every few hours," Allelujah said, "Just to be safe."

Tieria nodded. It was unbelievably hot out and it was only about nine fifteen in the morning, "How warm is it supposed to be today?" Tieria asked.

"I think the weather man said thirty-six," Neil said, "Why?"

"No reason…" Tieria muttered as the heat began to give him a headache.

"You should sit down Tieria," Allelujah said, "You have trouble dealing with the heat and you should take it easy today."

Tieria nodded and sat down on a nearby bench.

"_He actually listened to you?" _Hallelujah asked, _"You should check him for a fever. There's something wrong with him."_

/It's hot Hallelujah/ Allelujah said, /Tieria just has a poor tolerance for the heat/

"What time is the train getting here?" Tieria asked.

"In about five minutes if it's on time," Lockon said, "Are you getting hot?"

"A little bit," Tieria lied. He was already past the point of being uncomfortably warm and he already had a full-blown headache.

"Here," Allelujah said as he handed Tieria a water bottle, "Stay hydrated. If you need more water while we're in Boston then let me know right away."

Tieria nodded and shut his eyes. After a few minutes the "station's" announcement system went off.

"Here comes our train," Lockon said, "Are you alright Tieria?"

"Yeah," Tieria said, "The water helped a little bit."

"That's good," Lockon said as the train pulled up, "Come on, it should be air conditioned on the train."

* * *

Tieria was very happy to sit down in the air conditioned car. He removed his glasses and rested his head on the table they were sitting at.

_"Train to Bawstin,_" A conductor called over the intercom,_ "This is the Train to Bawstin. Next stop Providence, next stop Providence!"_

"The people in this region speak kind of odd don't they?" Allelujah said, "Is Bawstin supposed to Boston?"

"I would think so," Lockon said as another conductor came to their table.

"How many of you ah there?" He asked.

"Well we have a group of four and a group of five," Lockon said, "We would like roundtrip tickets please."

"Nine round-trip," He asked, "How many ah undah eighteen?"

"Well in the group of four there are two under eighteen," Lockon said, "In the group of two there are also two under eighteen."

"Okay," The conductor said, "I'm gonna give you two family fares. That'll be sixty-six dollahs please."

"Okay," Lockon said, "Ian, could you pitch in?"

"Sure," Ian said as he dug thirty dollars out of his wallet and added it to the forty Lockon has taken out.

"Here you are," Lockon said.

"Outta seventy," The man said as he handed Lockon two tickets and four dollars, "Foah dollahs is youah change. Enjoy youah trip."

"Thank you sir," Lockon said, "Tieria, are you asleep?"

"No," Tieria said, "What do you want?"

"Could you hold on to our ticket?" He asked.

Tieria nodded and took the ticket, "How long is it going to take to get to Boston?"

"About an hour," Lockon said, "Why?"

"I'm going to take a short nap then," Tieria said.

"Okay," Lockon said, "Sleep well."

"I'm worried about him," Allelujah said after a while, "It's going to be too warm for him today. He was having trouble just sitting at the station. I really don't think this is a good idea."

"He'll be fine," Lockon said, "I heard that Boston has a decent subway system. We'll avoid walking if we can."

"That sounds good," Allelujah said, "I don't think we want him to get sick."

"That's for sure," Christina said from across the aisle, "Tieria's cranky enough when he's not sick. I don't want to know what he would be like if he was to get sick."

"We'll just keep our eye on him today," Lockon said.

* * *

"_Tieria…hey Tieria…Tieria wake up!"_

Tieria moaned a bit as he opened his eyes, "What do you want?"

"Our stop is next," Lockon said.

"Okay," Tieria said as he sat up and put his glasses back on.

"Are you feeling better?" Allelujah asked.

"Yeah," Tieria said. His headache had gone away and he was feeling much better.

"That's good," Allelujah said.

"_Now approaching South Station," _An automated message said, _"This is the last stop thank you for riding the commuter rail."_

"So we're in Boston now?" Tieria asked.

"Yup," Lockon said, "Come on, we should head for the door now. It looks like we're there."

Tieria nodded as he stood up and followed Lockon into the aisle. When he stepped off the train he was once again met by the suffocating heat and humidity.

"Come on," Allelujah said, "Let's hurry inside. It's very warm."

Once the group entered the station they what they saw shocked them. Standing right near the door was a man who looked exactly like Lockon.

"Lyle…" Lockon muttered.

"Nii-san…" The man muttered.

"Lyle what are you doing here?" Lockon asked.

"I should be asking you the same question," the man said, "I didn't think I would ever see you alive again. What the hell are you doing here?" He looked at the group that Lockon was with, "Have you been raiding junior high schools or something?"

"We're…on a field trip of sorts," Lockon said, "Unfortunately I can't go into the details and you must not use my name."

"Okay…" Lyle said, "So do you have any sort of itinerary?"

"Not really," Lockon said, "Why?"

"Well," Lyle said, "I've been in Boston for a while now so I was thinking maybe I could show you all around."

"Well," Lockon said, "We're going to split into two groups. I'm not sure what the girls are going to do, but you can show my group around."

"Sounds good," Lyle said.

"Could we avoid walking around a lot?" Lockon asked, "One of the kids has a poor tolerance for the heat."

"The first place is only a ten minutes from here," Lyle said, "Can he handle a ten minute walk?"

Lockon turned to Tieria, "Can you handle ten minutes?" He asked.

"I should be able to," Tieria said, "But first I'm going to grab a little something to eat."

"Okay," Lockon said as Tieria walked towards a small pastry shop and ordered a bagel.

"I'm ready now," Tieria said he walked back over to the group, "Where are we going first?"

"We're going to a place called Faneuil Hall," Lyle said, "It's just a short ten minute walk from here."

Tieria nodded and quietly followed Lockon.

"Are you alright Tieria?" Allelujah asked.

"Yeah," Tieria said, "It's just a little warm that's all."

"Is there any way we can get there through the subway?" Allelujah asked.

"There's no direct route," Lyle said, "And it's only ten minutes away. The kid will be fine."

"I'll be alright," Tieria said as he took a few more bites of his bagel then threw the rest of it away. The heat was already starting to upset his stomach and he didn't want to risk getting sick so early in the trip.

Allelujah sighed. He could already tell that Tieria was starting to feel sick. /I've got a feeling that Tieria's going to get really sick today/ he thought.

"_Yeah, I think you're right," _Hallelujah said, _"Erde's already looking a little pale. Which shouldn't be possible with his paper-white skin."_

/Leave him alone today/ Allelujah said, /He's not feeling well/

"_Okay, okay," _Hallelujah said.

* * *

It ended up taking them nearly twenty minutes to get to Faneuil Hall. In that time Tieria had already developed a pounding headache and slight nausea as well.

"That took a lot longer than you said it would," Lockon said.

"Well the purple haired kid kept holding us back," Lyle said.

"The purple haired kid is the one that has a poor tolerance for the heat," Lockon said, "We should have taken the subway here."

"I'm alright," Tieria muttered as he sat down on a shaded bench, "Just let me sit for a while."

Allelujah sighed, "What's wrong?" he asked

"It's just a headache," Tieria said.

"Okay," Allelujah said, "Let me know if it gets any worse."

Tieria nodded and took a sip of the water he had purchased.

"So what are we here for?" Lockon asked.

"One of the most famous bars in the country," Lyle said, "A little place called "Cheers." Three hundred years ago there was a television show called "Cheers" and this place is tribute to that show."

"I'll have one drink," Lockon said, "This place isn't air conditioned and I don't want Tieria to get sick."

"Okay, okay," Lyle said, "Let's go."

Allelujah sighed as Tieria started to look sicker, "I'm going to see what's taking him so long," he said, "He's been in there nearly an hour. Setsuna, stay with Tieria, I'll be right back."

* * *

Lockon hadn't realized just how much time had gone by until Allelujah tapped him on the shoulder.

"What's up?" He asked.

"You've been in here nearly an hour," Allelujah said, "Tieria's getting worse!"

Lockon looked at his watch, "Holy shit," he exclaimed, "Lyle, we really have to get going."

"Okay," Lyle said, "There's somewhere else I want to show you."

"As long as we can take the subway for Tieria's sake it's fine." Lockon said.

"Okay, okay," Lyle said, "The place I want to take you is a little too far to walk."

Lyle and Lockon paid the tab then walked out of the bar with Allelujah.

"Man, it's hot," Lockon said.

"Exactly," Allelujah said, "We've been sitting out here for the past hour or so. Tieria can't take much more."

"You guys didn't go anywhere cooler?" Lockon asked.

"This place isn't air conditioned at all," Hallelujah said, "It's an _outdoor _marketplace. You expect it to be air conditioned?"

"That's enough," Tieria said as he shakily stood, "I'm alright."

"If you say so Erde," Hallelujah said, "Well, I'll let Allelujah take over again."

"Tieria, you don't look well," Allelujah said, "Do you want to go back to Rhode Island?"

"No," Tieria said, "I'm alright."

"Are you sure?" Allelujah asked.

"I'm alright," Tieria said.

"Lockon," Allelujah asked, "Can we do lunch?"

"Okay," Lockon said, "Is there a sandwich shop around?"

"There's one near the place I'm taking you," Lyle said, "Come on. We need to take two subways there."

* * *

Tieria was feeling a little better after the subway but the minute they stepped outside he immediately started feeling sick again.

"Welcome to Fenway," Lyle said, "America's oldest baseball fields is here. We're lucky there's no game today. We would have never gotten up here it that was the case. Not to mention the fans are absolutely obnoxious. They act like baseball is a matter of life and death."

"That's because baseball is a mattah of life and death," A man walking besides Lockon said, "Youah not a New Yohk fan ah you?"

"I'm not even from this country," Lyle said.

"Ah, sorry 'bout that," The man said, "There alotta Irish who live around he-ah. Shoulda known you weren't from he-ah, most New Englandahs undahstand the impohtance of Red Sawx baseball. I assumed you were an Irish Bostonian. Sorry 'bout that, have a good day."

"The people here are really strange," Lockon said.

"Yeah," Lyle said, "You get used to it. Come on there's a nice place where we can have lunch right in that building."

"Okay," Allelujah said, "Tieria needs to sit down." He turned to the purple haired Meister, "Maybe if you eat a little something you'll feel better."

Tieria shook his head, "I'm not very hungry," He muttered, "The heat is making my stomach hurt."

"At least have a little something to drink at least," Allelujah said as he noticed a slight reddish tint to the boy's normally pale face, "Have you reapplying the sunscreen?"

"Yeah," Tieria said as he finished another water, "I put some on not too long ago."

"Okay," Allelujah said, "Stay hydrated as well."

Lyle led them to a small sandwich shop, "Okay kids," Lyle said, "Lunch time."

"You really should try to eat something Tieria," Allelujah said as Tieria sat at the table then put his head down on his arms, "That might be why your stomach is bothering you."

"This isn't that type of stomachache and nausea," Tieria muttered as he clutched his stomach and shut his eyes.

Allelujah sighed, "We should get you back to Rhode Island then," Allelujah said as he placed his hand on Tieria's back, "If you're sick we should get you back to the house."

"No," Tieria muttered, "I'm alright."

"Are you sure?" Allelujah asked.

"I'll be alright," Tieria said, "You should go get something to eat."

"If you say so," Allelujah said, "I'm going to get you something to drink okay? Let me know if you start to feel sicker."

Tieria nodded and put his head back down.

Setsuna looked down at the purple haired Meister. Tieria didn't look well at all. He was pale, sweaty and his breathing was slightly heavy and labored.

"We should head back," Setsuna said, "You'll get sicker."

"He's right," Allelujah said as he returned with a water for Tieria to drink, "You have a poor tolerance to the heat as it is. We really should head back."

"I'm fine!" Tieria snapped, "I just ate something that didn't agree with me that's all!"

"Okay, okay," Allelujah said as both he and Setsuna made mental notes to keep their eye on Tieria.

"Is everyone all set?" Lockon asked after they had all finished what they had ordered, "Tieria, did you eat anything?"

"I wasn't very hungry," Tieria muttered.

"Okay," Lockon said, "Let us know if you get hungry."

"Come on nii-san," Lyle said, "There's another bar not too far from here."

"Can we take it easy?" Allelujah said as he helped Tieria stand, "Tieria's not feeling very well. The heat is bothering him."

"Alright, alright," Lyle said, "Just come on."

* * *

"Are you alright Tieria?" Allelujah asked. They had been walking for a while and Tieria was starting to fall farther and farther behind.

"Yeah," Tieria muttered tiredly, "I just…need to take a break…"

"Okay," Allelujah said, "Lockon can we take a break? Tieria's having a hard time."

"Lyle," Lockon said, "Let's take a break. We've been walking for a while now."

"But we're almost there!" Lyle said.

"We've been "almost there" for about an hour now," Lockon said, "Come on, the kids are tired."

"Fine," Lyle said, "We'll stop at this little park for a while."

Allelujah sighed as he followed Tieria to the shade of a large tree, "Tieria are you sure you're alright?" he asked as the smaller Meister lay on his side and curled up a bit.

Tieria nodded, "My stomach just hurts…" he muttered.

"We should get back to Rhode Island then," Allelujah said as he placed his hand on Tieria's shoulder, "You're clearly not feeling well."

Tieria shook his head, "I'll be alright," he muttered.

Allelujah sighed as he walked up to a street vendor.

"What can I getja?" The man asked.

"Two waters please," Allelujah said.

"Two wottas," The man said, "That'll be fouah dollahs." Allelujah handed over the money, "Here you ah, have a good one."

"Thank you," Allelujah said as he walked back over to where Tieria was laying, "Here Tieria," He said, "You need to stay hydrated."

Tieria nodded and took the water, "What's the other one for?" He asked.

Allelujah unscrewed the cap and poured a bit of the water over Tieria's head, "It's to help cool you down," He said, "I know the heat is bothering you. You can lie back down if you want." Allelujah sighed as Tieria rested his head on his lap and shut his eyes. /He looks sick/ He thought, /We really should return to Rhode Island/

"_If he doesn't want to go back then let him suffer his stupidity," _Hallelujah said.

/Could you somehow get him go to back to Rhode Island?/

"_No can do Allelujah," _Hallelujah said, _"I promised Captain Hotpants that I wouldn't bother Tieria in any way, shape or form today. So, I'm going to uphold that. Good luck with him."_

"How's he doing?" Lockon asked as he walked up to Allelujah.

"He keeps complaining of a stomachache," Allelujah said, "But he doesn't want to go back."

"I'm sure it's just the heat," Lockon said, "He's not really used to this."

"Are we ready to go?" Lyle asked.

"Give us a few more minutes," Lockon said, "Tieria's not feeling very well. I think he might be asleep."

"You guys are taking the seven train back right?" Lyle asked, "There are still a few things I want to show you."

Lockon sighed, "Alright," He said as he placed his hand on Tieria's shoulder and started to nudge the boy awake, "Come on Tieria, we're going to get going again."

Tieria nodded and sat up.

"How is your stomach?" Lockon asked as he helped Tieria stand up.

"My stomach still hurts," Tieria muttered.

"Why don't you go back with Allelujah?" Lockon asked, "You should rest if you're sick."

"I'm not sick," Tieria said, "I just don't feel well. Something I ate must not have agreed with me."

"Okay," Lockon said, "Just let us know if you start feeling sicker."

About an hour after stopping at the small park, Tieria really started to feel sick again.

* * *

"Guys…" He panted as he leaned against Allelujah to steady himself, "I…need to take…another break…"

"Again?" Lyle complained, "We just took a break!"

"Please…" Tieria pleaded as his knees grew weak, "I really…don't feel well…"

"Alright," Allelujah said as he led Tieria over to a shaded bench.

"I'll go get him some water," Setsuna said.

"Okay," Allelujah said. He looked at Tieria and sighed. The smaller Meister was sitting on the bench with his head in his hands, "What's wrong?"

"My stomach really hurts…" Tieria mumbled, "I'm extremely dizzy, my head is pounding and…"

"What's wrong?" Allelujah asked again as Tieria's pale face paled further and he clamped his hand to his mouth.

"I'm going to be sick…" Tieria moaned.

Allelujah nodded and handed Tieria a plastic bag. "Take it easy," He said as he rubbed Tieria's back as he was sick, "We should probably get you back to Rhode Island." Allelujah said as Tieria coughed and dry-heaved.

Tieria nodded, "I didn't think…I was this sick…" he whispered.

"Here," Setsuna said as he returned with a water.

Tieria nodded in thanks as he took a drink from the bottle.

"Lie down if you want," Allelujah said, "Just until we figure out what we're going to do about getting you back."

"If he alright?" Lockon asked.

Allelujah shook his head, "We need to get him back to Rhode Island," he said, "He's really sick right now. But for now we need to get him out of the sun and somewhere air conditioned."

"Okay," Lockon said, "Lyle, we need to get these kids out of the sun."

"The kid's not sick," Lyle said, "He's drunk."

"Tieria's seventeen," Lockon said, "He's ill Lyle and he's been feeling sick all day."

"Okay fine," Lyle said, "There's another bar right there, will that work?"

"I guess," Lockon said.

"Come on Tieria," Allelujah said as he helped the purple haired Meister stand. He sighed as he steadied the boy, /We should have taken him back when he first started feeling sick/

"Are you going to be okay Tieria?" Allelujah asked. He frowned, Tieria's body felt a lot warmer than it was supposed to be. /It feels almost like he has a fever…/ Allelujah thought, /It's almost as if he has a stomach virus…but his symptoms aren't common of a stomach virus and he was hungry this morning. I think he has some sort of heat related illness…If that's the case…/

"Yeah…" Tieria muttered as he leaned against Allelujah, "I'll…be alright…"

"Okay," Allelujah said, "We'll go slowly."

* * *

The bar Lyle brought them to was small, crowded and stuffy. Lockon and Lyle headed to the bar while Setsuna and Allelujah helped Tieria over to a small table by a barely working air conditioner.

"Are you alright, Tieria?" Allelujah asked.

"I feel sick," Tieria muttered as he rested his head on one arm while he clutched his churning and aching stomach with the other.

"Where's the water Setsuna gave you?" Allelujah asked.

"I finished it…" Tieria mumbled, "Could you get me another…?"

Allelujah sighed as he turned to Setsuna, "Go call the girls," He said, "Tieria has some sort of heat-related illness."

Setsuna nodded and did was he was told.

* * *

Christina was about to drag her group into yet another store when Feldt's cell phone went off.

"Hello…Setsuna! What's wrong?" Feldt asked, "Hang on I'll put you on speaker…Alright what's happened?"

"_Tieria's ill," _Setsuna said, _"We need to take him back."_

"Tieria-san is sick," Christina asked, "That doesn't happen often. What's wrong?"

"_He's been complaining of a headache all day," _Setsuna said, _"But he's started complaining of a headache, dizziness, nausea and fatigue and it's only gotten worse."_

"Did he eat anything today?" Feldt asked, "It sounds like dehydration."

"_When we stopped for lunch he was complaining of nausea and a stomachache so he didn't eat," _Setsuna said, _"Right now, his stomach isn't holding anything down."_

"That sounds like a stomach virus," Feldt said.

"Didn't Tieria complain about being hungry while we waited for the train?" Lichty asked, "He was hungry earlier wasn't he? If that's the case then it couldn't be a stomach virus."

"Setsuna," Christina said, "Does Tieria-san have any other symptoms?"

"_He's very flushed," _Setsuna said, _"And he keeps complaining of thirst. He's gone through at least seven water bottles today."_

Feldt and Christina looked at each other, "That sounds like heat exhaustion…" Christina said, "Tieria-san can't handle the heat. Where are you? We really need to get him back to Rhode Island as soon as possible."

"Here are the coordinates," Setsuna said as he sent his location to the girls.

"We're right down the street," Christina said, "Stay there and keep Tieria cool. We'll be right there."

* * *

Setsuna ended the call then walked back into the bar and Allelujah was rubbing Tieria's back in soothing circles as the purple haired Meister cried.

"The girls are on their way," Setsuna said, "They're just down the street."

"That's good," Allelujah said, "He's getting worse. Will you watch him while I get him some water to drink? He threw up again while you were calling the girls."

Setsuna sat next to Tieria and sighed. Every time he looked at Tieria, the purple haired boy looked sicker, "Tieria…"

"Setsuna…" Tieria mumbled, "I really…don't feel well…"

"I know," Setsuna said, "The girls are on their way to bring you back to Rhode Island." Setsuna looked at Tieria and frowned. The normally stoic and emotionless Meister was crying. /We should get him to a hospital/ Setsuna thought, /But that would cause problems for us…/ Tieria's face was very flushed as if he was suffering from a bad sunburn. However Tieria had been applying sunscreen every few hours to prevent getting sunburned. /But he's in one of the more advanced stages of heat exhaustion/

Setsuna was pulled from his thoughts as Tieria stood up, "What are you doing?"

"I can't breathe in here…" Tieria mumbled, "I need…some air…"

"Tieria wait!"

* * *

Allelujah had just paid for the water when Tieria walked by him.

"Tieria, what are you doing?" Allelujah asked, "You should be sitting down and resting."

"I need…to step…outside…" Tieria muttered as his vision started to dim, "I…can't breathe…" Tieria then took another few steps and the heat and dizziness overwhelmed him.

* * *

Poor Tieria was neglected in this chapter and he got sick because of it. The North East is known for crazy heat waves and I don't see Tieria as the type who can tolerate the heat. Trying to type the Bostonian accent drove me up a wall and I hate to say it but that is how people in the North East talk. I get to put up with it all the damn time (I don't talk like that at all just so you know). And what I said about Baseball being a matter of life and death is completely true and New Englanders are obnoxious sports fan (Sorry to any fellow New Englander who might be reading this).

Extended disclaimer: I don't own the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority), The T, Fenway, Faneuil Hall, The Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Cheers.

Getja means "get you" in the New England accent.

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	6. Trying to Beat the Heat

Konnichiwa Minna-san! Writer's block sucks big time. I've hit impassable brick walls in almost all of my fics right now. However I was able to get this chapter all said and done with and as far as I'm concerned I got passed the block with this story. I don't have much else to say about this aside from writer's block sucks (again) so enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam 00, the characters or anything else to do with Gundam 00. But as long as I'm good and I don't traumatize Tieria too much, Veda is letting me borrow them for a bit.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Six: Trying to Beat the Heat

Allelujah watched in horror as Tieria collapsed to the floor. He was too far away to get to the boy in time to stop him from falling so he just stood there.

"Tieria!"

"Tieria-san!" Christina cried as she entered the bar.

"So the kid finally passed out drunk huh?" Lyle said, "About time he did that."

"Tieria's seventeen you dumbass!" Lockon yelled, "He's underage!"

"That never stopped me," Lyle said.

"Tieria wouldn't take a drink if his life depended on it," Lockon said, "He's sick you bastard!"

"Is that really something you should call your younger brother?" Lyle asked.

"Who the hell died and made you my boss!" Lockon screamed.

"Do you want to fight?"

"Yeah," Lockon said, "That's sounds really good actually. I'm glad you asked."

"Hey no fightin' in my bah!" The bartender yelled, "An' get the sick kid outta he-ah it's bad for business!"

"You bastard!" Christina yelled as she ran up to the bar nearly tripping over Tieria's prone form, "Can't you see he's sick?"

"Whaddid jya just call me?" The bartender yelled.

"Unless you want me to get some of my _friends _involved here you'll get me an ice water, a cup of ice and a room key," Christina said in a dangerously low voice, "And you'll keep those two morons over there from drinking anything else. Do you hear me?"

"L-loud and clear miss," The bartender said as he fumbled with a room key and the water, "He-ah ya go…"

"Thank you sir," Christina said in a sickeningly sweet way that made nearly everyone's skin crawl, "Allelujah-san, will you get Tieria-san please? Allelujah-san…"

"YOU GODDAMN BASTARDS!" Hallelujah roared, "Because you two dumbassesjust _had _to get drunk Erde over there may very well be dying. And I know I can't stand him but if he dies I will _personally_ wrap my hands around your necks until your goddamn heads explode!"

Christina sighed and walked up to the irate Meister, "That's enough out of you," She commanded as she bravely slapped Hallelujah in the face, "Let Allelujah take over so he can bring Tieria to room five!"

"Sorry miss," Hallelujah said, "I just figured since Erde can't wish those two bastards "ten thousands deaths," I figured I would wish them one extremely gruesome death in his place. I'll let Allelujah take over now." He then bent down to pick Tieria up and receded back to Allelujah's mind.

"He's really warm," Allelujah said, "I think he's running a high fever."

"You can check his temperature when we get to room five," Christina said, "The longer we wait to cool his body down the worse he'll get. So come on!"

Allelujah nodded then followed Christina and her group to the inn part of the bar. They entered a small room and he placed Tieria on the bed. "We should have taken him back when he first started feeling sick," he said as he undid the buttons on Tieria's shirt, "His condition has gotten bad."

"He didn't want to go back though," Setsuna said, "He kept telling us that he was going to be fine."

"He should have gone back," Feldt said as she placed a cold compress on Tieria's forehead, "He's running a fever of thirty-nine point five."

"Feldt," Christina said, "When's the next train back to Providence?"

Feldt took out the schedule, "Four forty-five," she said, "The only problem is, it's a peak hour train, odds are, it's going to be packed."

"We really don't have a choice Feldt," Christina said, "With Tieria-san as sick as he is we need to get him back as soon as possible. We have an hour," She said as she started nudging Tieria, "Tieria-san…Tieria-san wake up! Tieria-san!"

Tieria stirred and moaned, "…What…?"

"We're going to take you back to Rhode Island," Christina said, "You fainted a little while ago and you're really sick."

"I…I fainted…?" Tieria whispered.

"Yeah," Christina said as she held the glass of water up to Tieria, "Here, drink this slowly."

Tieria sat up a bit to grab the water but he was met with an intense throbbing pain in his left forearm, "Uhn…"

"What's wrong?" Feldt asked.

"My…my arm…"

The group looked down at Tieria's arm and gasped. The boy's arm was bent at a funny angle and was starting to swell up.

"His arm looks broken," Feldt said as she gently prodded Tieria's arm. Tieria gasped in pain as she carefully moved his arm across his chest so it would be more comfortable, "I'm sorry. I know that probably hurt. Does anyone have something I can use for a makeshift sling?"

Christina sighed as she reached into one of her shopping bags and pulled out a scarf, "Will this work?" She asked.

"That's perfect," Feldt said, "Could someone prop him up so I can set the sling and so he can get a drink?"

Allelujah sighed as he held Tieria up and Setsuna helped him with the water, "Drink slowly," Setsuna said, "You need to try to keep the water down."

"Now," Christina said, "How are we going to get him back?"

"There's the subway," Lichty suggested.

"He wouldn't fare well in the subway," Christina said as she held a small wastepaper basket up to Tieria after he bolted upright with his hand to his mouth.

"What about a taxi?" Feldt suggested.

"We wouldn't all fit in a taxi though," Christina said as Tieria finally threw up the water he had just ingested, "Unless some of us take the Subway."

"Ian, Lichty, Setsuna, Allelujah and I could take the Subway," Feldt said, "Then you and Lasse could take the taxi with Tieria."

"What are we going to do about Lockon though?" Allelujah asked.

"He'll have to come with us," Christina said, "Try to lower his fever a little bit. I'm going to get him more water and the number for a taxi company."

The bartender looked worried as Christina walked up to the bar again.

"H-How's yoah friend?" He asked.

"He's hanging in there," Christina said, "I need two more waters in to-go cups and the number for a taxi."

"Right away!" The man exclaimed.

"Chris," Lockon said, "How's Tieria?"

"I really don't think you of all people should be asking how he's doing." Christina said, "While the rest of us are trying to lower his body temperature, you're still sitting at the bar! I can't _believe _you would just neglect Tieria-san like that! You _know_ he has a poor tolerance to the heat!"

Lockon sighed. The girl was right, he should have kept a closer eye on Tieria, "I'm guessing you're going to tell Ms. Sumeragi about this huh?"

"Heh, you better _believe _I am," Christina said, "And we'll be leaving in a little bit so you probably should say goodbye to your double over there."

"He-ah you ah miss," The bartender said, "I gave you the numbah for the best taxi service in the greatah Bawstin area."

"Thank you sir," Christina said as she took the waters and the small slip of paper then headed back to the room, "How's he doing?"

"There's been no change," Feldt said, "He seems to be in and out of consciousness."

"I should have forced him to come back," Allelujah said.

"You shouldn't worry about it," Christina said, "Keep trying to lower his fever. I'm going to call the taxi company then I'll call Sumeragi-san."

Allelujah nodded, "Hang in there Tieria," He said as he replaced the cold compress.

"I'll…be alright…" Tieria muttered, "You don't…have to go back…because of me…"

"No," Allelujah said, "We have to go back. If you get any sicker you'll be in serious trouble. Just relax for now, we'll get you the help you need."

"I feel awful…" Tieria muttered.

"I know you do," Allelujah said, "Just close your eyes and rest for now."

"I didn't want to ruin everyone's trip…" Tieria muttered.

"It's okay Tieria," Allelujah said, "We can come back here on another day."

"There's a taxi not too far away from here," Christina said, "Allelujah-san, will you get Tieria-san? I'm going to call Sumeragi-san."

* * *

Sumeragi was relaxing on the beach when her cell phone went off, "Yes?"

"_Sumeragi-san, we're on our way back."_

"Why what's wrong?" She asked, "I thought you were taking the seven pm train back."

"_Tieria-san got really sick,"_ Christina said.

"What happened?"

"_It really looks like heat exhaustion,"_ Christina said, _"He's sick to his stomach, he's got a high fever and he's in and out of consciousness. And we think he broke his arm when he fainted the first time."_

"Dammit! Where the hell is Allelujah?"

"_Do you want to talk to him?"_

"Yes I do," Sumeragi said.

"_S-Sumeragi-san…"_ Allelujah stuttered.

"What did I tell you about Tieria?" She asked, "You had better explain yourself!"

"_I tried to get him to come back,"_ Allelujah said, _"I really did but he didn't want to. He kept telling us that it was just something he ate and that he would be fine."_

"It just figures that he would do that," Sumeragi said, "I want _all _of you to come back."

"_Alright,"_ Allelujah said, _"I'm really sorry Sumeragi-san. I should have been more insistent with Tieria but you know how he is."_

"Yes I do," Sumeragi said, "Please, try to take care of Tieria as best you can. I'm going to see if I can get Dr. Moreno down here to treat Tieria. But if Tieria's arm is broken, he's going to need to wear a cast for the remainder of the trip."

"_Okay,"_ Allelujah said, _"I'll do the best that I can to make sure he doesn't get worse."_

"I talk to you later," Sumeragi said as she hung up the phone, /So much for a quiet evening/ She thought, /It looks like we'll be tending to Tieria all night…/

* * *

As the small group left the room they noticed the yelling coming from the bar. When they walked into the main part of the bar they saw that Lockon was pinning his brother to the floor while punching him in the face and calling him every foul word he could think of while mildly intoxicated.

"Hallelujah-san," Christina said, "If you would."

"Oh I will," Hallelujah said maliciously as he walked over to the brawling brothers. He pulled Lockon off of Lyle then punched him the face then he helped Lyle up and punched him in the face as well. He looked at Lyle, "You have it lucky, odds are, I'll never see you again." He then grabbed Lockon by the back of the shirt, "Your brother on the other hand is stuck with me. Have a good one."

"What are you doing Hallelujah?" Lockon asked.

"We're going back," Hallelujah said, "I'm just going to make sure you don't make anymore pit-stops."

As they left the bar the taxi was right outside.

"Get him in the car Lasse-san," Christina said as she handed a subway fair card to Feldt, "Get going," She said, "Stop somewhere on the way and get some ice and several water bottles. Remember transfer over to the red line at Park Street."

"Okay," Feldt said.

"Try to hurry," Christina said as she got in the car, "We don't have much time."

"So where're ya headed?" The cab driver asked.

"South Station," Christina said, "If you could get us there as fast as you can it would be appreciated."

"A-right," The woman said, "What's wrong with yoah friend the-ah?"

"We think it's heat exhaustion," Christina said.

"It's been unusually warm here for mid-June," The woman said, "I'll turn the AC on full blast."

"We can pay extra for that if you want us to," Christina said as she placed a cold compress on Tieria's forehead.

"That won't be necessary," The woman said, "I'm not gonna charge ya at all."

"We can't let you do that," Christina said, "Let us at least give you something!"

"Yoah friend is sick," The woman said, "And I won't accept anythin' from you kids. This one's on me."

"Thank you," Christina mumbled.

* * *

By the time they reached South Station Tieria had come around and was making a slight improvement.

"Take care," The woman said, "If yoah ever in the area, gimme a call!"

"Okay," Christina said as the woman drove off, "Come on let's get him inside. It looks as though he's starting to feel a little better."

Lasse nodded and led Tieria into the station and had him lay on a bench.

"Lasse," Christina said, "Could you get him a sports drink? The water isn't enough to keep him hydrated at this point."

"Okay," Lasse said, "Do you have a flavor preference Tieria?"

"It doesn't matter," Tieria muttered. His stomach had started to feel a little better and he wasn't quite as hot as he was before but he knew he wasn't out of the woods yet. He knew that his condition could take a turn for the worse at any time.

"Are you feeling okay, Tieria-san?"

"I'll be alright," He muttered, "I'm not feeling as sick but…I know I still need treatment."

"So you're feeling a little better huh?" Christina asked. Tieria nodded, "How's your arm?"

"It hurts," Tieria said, "But the pain isn't terrible."

"That's good," Christina said as her phone went off, "Ah Sumeragi-san!"

"_How's Tieria doing?"_ Sumeragi asked.

"He said he's feeling a little better," Christina said, "His fever is still high though. As long as the train is air conditioned he should be fine."

"_Okay,"_ Sumeragi said, _"What time is your train returning?"_

"About five forty-five," Christina said.

"_Okay,"_ Sumeragi said, _"I'll be waiting at the station for you then."_

"Okay."

"Here you go," Lasse said as he handed Tieria a sports drink, "I just found out from a worker that the Providence train is coming in on track five. I told him our predicament and he's going to let us board the train first. He said to move near the door and he would let us know when we could board. Do you feel well enough to wait near the door Tieria?"

"Yeah," He muttered as he slowly sat up, "You would have to help me though. I'm still feeling very weak."

Lasse nodded as he helped Tieria stand, "Come on," Lasse said, "The train is coming in now."

"I'm guessing this is the boy?" The man asked.

"Yeah," Lasse said.

"Okay," The man said, "Follow me."

They followed the man to the train and they waited as the man explained to the conductor.

"You may board," the conductor said, "But keep in mind this is a peak hours train."

"Yes sir," Christina said as she followed Lasse on to the train, "It kinda warm in here isn't it?"

"Our ai-ah conditioning system has been faulty recently," The conductor said, "We're in the process of replacing it. Unfortunately there are no cahs on this train that have the updated system."

Christina sighed, "Alright," She said, "We'll have to make do then."

"I'll be okay," Tieria muttered as he rested his head against Christina's lap, "If I lie down I think I'll be alright."

"I just got a message from Feldt," Lasse said, "She wants to know what car we're in."

"Tell her we're in car number four fifty-four," Christina said, "The bottom level. Tell her to hurry the car is filling up."

"Sorry it took so long," Feldt said as she placed a small disposable cooler on the floor, "How are you feeling Tieria?"

"I've felt better," Tieria said, "I'm going to try to sleep…maybe I'll feel better…"

"That sounds like a good idea," Feldt said as she sat across from Tieria and Christina, "You shouldn't strain your body."

"_This is the Wickfawd Junction_ _train," _The conductor called through the intercom, _"This train with make the following station stops, Back Bay, Ruggles, Hyde Pahk, Route 128, Canton Junction, Shaahrin, Mansfield, Attleboro, South Attleboro, Providence, T.F. Green Woahwick and Wickfawd Junction."_

"This train is going to be busy," Feldt said, "Most of the seats in this car are already full."

"The car is rather warm as well," Lichty said, "It's not terribly hot but this can't be good for his condition."

"They said the air conditioner is being faulty," Lasse said, "We're going to have to keep him cool with the ice."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Feldt muttered.

* * *

As more people started to board the train the car started to become uncomfortably warm and Tieria started to take a turn for the worse.

"Excuse me," The conductor said at Ruggles station, "That boy is going to have to sit up so others can sit."

"I'm sorry sir," Christina said as she put more ice on the back of Tieria's neck to cool him, "He fainted a few minutes ago. He can't sit up at all."

"It's alright," The passenger said, "That child isn't feeling well don't make him move for my sake. I'll try to find a seat elsewhere."

The conductor sighed, "A peak hour train is no place for a sick child," The man said.

"Am I the only one who was just reminded of Tieria?" Allelujah asked.

"Yeah," Lockon said, "How's he doing?"

"He's getting worse," Christina said, "I think the heat exhaustion has progressed into heat stroke."

"We shouldn't give him anything else to drink then," Feldt said, "And we really should get him to a hospital. There's a hospital off the next stop."

"We…can't…" Tieria muttered as he returned to consciousness.

"But-!"

"He's right," Lasse said, "We would run several risks if we brought Tieria to a hospital."

At that moment the train lurched to a screeching halt.

"What's going on?" Feldt asked.

"_We apologize for the inconvenience,"_ The conductor called over the intercom, _"However we are currently engine problems. We will try to get the train running as soon as possible."_

"Shit," Christina swore, "This is all we need."

"Maybe we'll get going soon," Lichty said.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Allelujah muttered.

* * *

"This isn't good at all," Feldt said after at least half an hour, "This car is getting hotter and…" He placed her hand on Tieria's forehead, "He's not sweating anymore…I'm going to see if I can talk to someone about finding a cooler car."

Feldt stood up and walked around the car until she found a female conductor, "Excuse me ma'am!" She called.

"Can I help you?" The woman asked.

"Is there any way the group I'm with be moved to a cooler car?" Feldt asked, "We really think my older brother has heat stroke."

The conductor that they had originally dealt with sighed, "I told you kids," he said, "All the cahs are like this."

"What about the employee car?" The woman asked, "That car has the new air conditioning system."

"We can't let passenjahs on that cah," The man exclaimed, "It's the employee cah!"

"I think we can make an exception in this case," The woman said, "Heat stroke is a very serious and possibly fatal condition."

"She could be lying," The man said.

"How about I investigate the boy's condition," The woman said, "If this girl is lying then we'll have them get off at the next stop and if she's telling the truth I will escort them to the employee car."

"I'll come too," The man said.

"Could you show me to where your brother is?" The woman asked.

"We're over there," Feldt said as she led the two conductors over to where Tieria was, "Here he is."

The woman placed her hand on Tieria's forehead, "It's bad," She said, "He's burning up and there's no sweat. You kids can come with me. He's in one of the more advanced stages."

"Thank you so much," Christina said as Lasse carefully lifted Tieria from the seat and followed the woman to the employee car.

"You can set him down anywhere," The woman said, "Let me know if you need anything at all. I'll inform my supervisor why you're in here."

"We should some ice under his arms," Feldt said, "That will help to cool his body down. We should also let Sumeragi-san know that our train is going to be delayed."

"It seems like we're moving again," Lichty said as the train started to move again.

"It's a lot cooler in here but we should be careful not to cool his body down too much," Christina said, "It might send him into shock."

"I know," Feldt said, "He's unconscious but not in shock. His temperature…forty point two…"

"Is it better in here for you kids?" The woman asked.

"Yes," Christina said, "He hasn't gotten any better but he's not getting worse."

"What stop are you getting off at?" The woman asked.

"Wickford Junction," Feldt said.

"So you're all on 'til the end of the line," The woman said, "Do you want us to call for an ambulance to meet you at your stop?"

"That won't be necessary," Christina said, "We have someone picking us up."

"Okay," The woman said, "You kids aren't from around here are you?"

"We're from a colony," Christina lied, "We're here on a little trip with the orphanage we're from. Unfortunately we can't go into much detail."

"I see," The woman said, "I can understand why he got so sick then. Space is much colder than the surface. I also grew up in a colony getting used to the heat was quite hard. I'm pretty sure I'm not much older than you."

"I see," Christina said as she replaced the bag of water with a bag of ice.

"It seems as though you kids came prepared," The woman said as the train started to slow, "I'll be back in a few."

"It's good that we found someone who could help," Christina said, "Tieria-san will have a better chance of making a full recovery this way. If we're lucky we'll get his temperature to come down a bit."

"I really hope so," Christina said.

* * *

It took almost another hour for them to get back to Wickford Junction. In that time Tieria had not returned to consciousness however his temperature had started to come down a little bit.

"Thank you for your help," Christina said as the conductor who helped walked over to them before they left the train.

"You're very welcome," The woman said, "I really hope your friend feels better soon. I hope you're able to return to Boston when the weather cools a little bit."

"We hope so too," Christina said as she got off the train, "Thank you again."

"Hurry up Chris!" Sumeragi called, "Everyone else is ready to go!"

"I'll be right there!" Christina called as she ran towards the cars.

* * *

So it looks like poor Tieria has one of the more advanced stages of heat exhaustion. Poor kid, he has it rough when I'm in charge. And I absolutely love writing Halle, he's so violent it's awesome. MBTA trains are usually crazy busy during peak hours, trust me. The last time I took a four forty-five pm train there were at least twenty people standing in the aisle and the air conditioning wasn't working…I totally jinxed myself there. So I'll be back as soon as possible, until next time minna-san! Ja ne!

Extended disclaimer: I don't own the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority), The T, Fenway, Faneuil Hall, The Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Cheers.

New England Accent translations:

Whatddid jya = What did you

Woahwick = Warwick

Shaarin = Sharron

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	7. Stormy Weather

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I HATE WRITER'S BLOCK! There, I feel a little better now. I don't get it, when I'm in school I can bang out chapters left and right but when it's summer vacation or spring break or winter break I can't write a decent chapter to save my life. But I digress. This chapter is shorter than the last two but you can blame what I put in all caps a few sentences ago. But aside from my excessive whining I don't have much to say about this so uh…enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam 00, the characters or anything else to do with Gundam 00. But as long as I'm good and I don't traumatize Tieria too much, Veda is letting me borrow them for a bit.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Seven: Storm Weather

Sumeragi sighed as she Lasse set Tieria down on the bed in the unused bedroom in the girl's house. He was still unconscious and very flushed. And despite how hot his skin was, he still wasn't sweating.

"Doctor Moreno is going to help us out however he's not going to be able to get here until tomorrow," Sumeragi said as she placed an ice pack on Tieria's forehead then one under each of his arms, "He told me to treat him for heat exhaustion and monitor him closely during the night."

"So in other words," Christina said, "It's going to be a long night."

"I'm afraid so," Sumeragi said as Allelujah entered the room.

"Hey," Allelujah said, "Does this house have a back-up power generator?"

"I'm not sure," Sumeragi said, "Why do you ask?"

"There's a severe thunderstorm warning in effect," Allelujah said, "They're saying strong winds, heavy rain, frequent lightning, hail and possible power outages. I'm saying this because we need the air conditioning to keep Tieria cool. If we lose power and there's no generator we'll lose the air conditioner as well."

"Will you go check to see if there's a generator?" Sumeragi said.

"Alright," Allelujah said, "I'll be back."

Sumeragi sighed. It wouldn't be terrible if they lost power and the air conditioning but it wouldn't be a good thing either. Tieria was making progress however he was far from recovery. They had managed to get Tieria's temperature down to thirty-nine point nine and he had begun to sweat again. /He's starting to fare better/ She thought, /But he's still in bad shape…Come on Tieria…/

"Hang in there." She said softly

"Sumeragi…Li Noriega…" Tieria mumbled as he returned to consciousness.

"You're awake," Sumeragi said, "Thank goodness. Do you have any idea how worried we've been?"

"Where…?"

"We're back at the house," Sumeragi said, "Don't talk for now Tieria. You'll be okay."

"Can…can I have…something to…drink…?" Tieria asked.

"Yes," Sumeragi said as she poured an unflavored electrolyte solution into a cup for Tieria. She carefully helped Tieria sit up and handed him the cup, "Here, drink this slowly. Be careful, we think your left arm may be broken so don't try to move it."

"Thank you," Tieria muttered as he drank the contents of the cup.

"Get some rest Tieria," Sumeragi said as she gently eased Tieria back against the bed, "You'll feel better soon."

Tieria nodded and drifted off to sleep again.

"Sumeragi-san," Allelujah called, "There's no power generator."

"We'll just have to make due then," Sumeragi said, "He's doing better though. He woke up a few minutes ago."

"Did he faint again or did he fall back to sleep on his own?" Allelujah asked.

"I think he fell asleep on his own," Sumeragi said as Tieria started to toss and turn, "At least I hope he's asleep. He'll fare lot better that way."

"Sumeragi…" Tieria moaned.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I feel sick…" Tieria muttered as he clutched his stomach with his uninjured arm.

"Are you going to be sick again?" She asked.

"I…think so…"

/Dammit/ Sumeragi thought as she held a wastepaper basket to Tieria, /How the hell am I supposed to keep Tieria hydrated if he throws up everything I give him to drink? We may have to take him to a hospital until Doctor Moreno can get here, he's going to dehydrate/ She rubbed Tieria's back however the boy still hadn't vomited yet, "Are you sure you're going to be sick, Tieria?"

"I don't know," Tieria moaned.

"Here," Sumeragi said as she handed Tieria another cup of the electrolyte solution, "You're probably almost dangerously dehydrated. That might be why your stomach is sick." Tieria took the cup, "Drink it slowly, you need to keep this down."

Tieria nodded and slowly drank the liquid.

/If he can keep that down, I think he'll be alright/ Sumeragi thought, /But if he can't keep that down we'll be forced to take him to a hospital/

"Sumeragi…"

"Are you all set?" Sumeragi asked. Tieria nodded and handed the cup back to Sumeragi, "I'm going to check your temperature while you're still awake okay?" She placed the thermometer to Tieria's sweaty forehead, "Your temperature has gone down again," She said, "It's down to thirty-nine point six. Try to get some more sleep, you'll feel better."

Tieria nodded and shut his eyes and finally slipped into a restless sleep.

"Allelujah," Sumeragi said, "Where's Lockon?"

"In his room," Allelujah said, "Sleeping off a hangover."

"Go get him," Sumeragi said, "He's going to stay here tonight. That way he can make up for what happened today."

"Okay," Allelujah said, "Should I get some candles and flashlights ready as well?"

"No," Sumeragi said, "I'll have Chris get that for me. Just get Lockon."

"Alright," Allelujah said, "But are you going to leave him here alone? He _is_ suffering from a hangover."

"Oh hell no," Sumeragi said, "There is no way in hell I'm leaving him alone with Tieria."

"Okay," Allelujah said, "I'll be right back."

Allelujah sighed as he walked outside. He could see the dark gray storm clouds off in the distance and every so often he saw a flash of lightning emit from the clouds. /We're in for quite the night/

"_You got that right,"_ Hallelujah said,_ "With Erde crazy sick and that ugly looking cloud headed this way, not to mention Stratos' hangover, should be a freakin' party tonight. You're on your own pal."_

/Whatever/ Allelujah thought as he entered the other house.

"Allelujah," Setsuna said, "Is Tieria Erde alright?"

"He's starting to get a little better," Allelujah said, "He's still in for a rough night though. His fever is coming down but it's still very high. Is Lockon still in his room?"

"Yeah," Setsuna said, "Does Sumeragi Li Noriega need any help watching Tieria tonight?"

"I think she has it all under control," Allelujah said, "You might want to get some candles ready. There's a bad storm headed this way."

"I know," Setsuna said.

"I'll probably stay in the girl's house tonight," Allelujah said, "Ian, Lasse and Lichty will be here but Lockon and I will be helping Sumeragi-san with Tieria."

"Alright," Setsuna said as he walked to his room.

Allelujah walked into Lockon's room. The older Meister was laying on his bed a damp cloth on his forehead and all the lights off. "Lockon," He called.

"Go away…" The older Meister moaned, "You're making my head hurt…"

/Hallelujah/ Allelujah called.

"_You're giving me permission to take over?" _Hallelujah asked, _"I thought this day would never come! What do you want me to do?"_

/Get him out of bed/ Allelujah said, /Just don't hurt him/

"_Alright,"_ Hallelujah said, _"It will be my pleasure." _ Hallelujah then took over flipped the light on then ripped the damp cloth from Lockon's face.

"What's the big idea Allelujah?" Lockon moaned, "I want to sleep…"

"Oh you won't be sleeping much tonight," Hallelujah said, "Captain Hotpants has a very special job for you tonight."

"Hallelujah…" Lockon moaned, "What do you mean?"

"You're gonna help us monitor Erde tonight," Hallelujah said, "Just to make sure he doesn't die."

"Why would Tieria die?" Lockon asked as Hallelujah dragged him from his room.

"Because you neglected him in Boston today!" Hallelujah screamed, "He got really sick and passed out remember?"

"Oh yeah," Lockon muttered, "I forgot about that…"

"Of course you did," Hallelujah said, "THAT'S BECAUSE YOU WERE TOO BUSY DROWNING YOURSELF IN ALCOHOL TO NOTICE!" He roared in the older man's ear.

"Don't yell…" Lockon moaned as he clutched his head.

"Sumeragi!" Hallelujah called as he entered the girl's house, "I brought the hungover bastard!"

"Don't yell," Sumeragi said, "Tieria just fell back to sleep."

Hallelujah led Lockon to the room Tieria was spending the night in, "Alright," Hallelujah said, "I brought Lockon. I'm going back to sleep. Have fun you three."

"Why do I have to watch him tonight?" Lockon whined.

"I'm pretty sure Hallelujah made that perfectly clear," Allelujah said, "You didn't help us at all when Tieria was sick earlier."

Lockon sighed, "So I have to stay up all night?" he moaned.

"We don't expect that of you," Sumeragi said, "But you will be in here all night." She pushed Lockon into a chair and handed him two pain relievers and a Styrofoam cup of black coffee, "There you go. That should help your hangover."

"Thanks," Lockon muttered. He took a sip of the coffee and immediately spit it out, "Ugh…what _is _this?"

"It's coffee I got at a local chain coffee place," Sumeragi said, "From what I've heard you have a twenty-five percent chance at getting a good coffee and a seventy-five percent chance of getting an absolutely horrible coffee. That one is a cross between a good one and a bad one. You are going to drink it!"

"Fine, fine," Lockon said as he choked down another sip of the coffee, "God that's awful…"

There was a distant rumble of thunder and everyone sighed, "We're in for quite a night," Sumeragi muttered and they all silently agreed.

* * *

Several hours later Tieria was startled awake by a sonorous thunderclap, "Na-nada…!" He gasped as he tried to sit up but was stopped due to the sharp pain that shot through his arm.

"Tieria," Lockon called as he rushed to the smaller Meister's side, "What's wrong?"

"What…what is that…?" Tieria gasped in a panic, "What is that Lockon…what's going on…?" There was a flash of lightning and Tieria weakly cried out, "What's happening?"

"Calm down Tieria," Lockon said as he pressed a cold cloth to the boy's forehead, "It's just a thunderstorm nothing bad is happening."

There was another flash of lightning followed quickly by a crack of thunder and Tieria cried out once again. And when the lamp in the room flickered then went out Tieria only panicked further, "Make it stop…" He whispered, "Please….make it stop…"

"I can't make it stop Tieria," Lockon said as he continued to sponge Tieria's forehead, "It's a force of nature. The storm will be over soon okay? Get some rest, you'll feel better."

"Lockon…" Tieria muttered, "I'm thirsty…"

"Okay," Lockon said as he poured some of the unflavored electrolyte solution into a cup for Tieria, "Here, drink it slowly." He then carefully helped him sit up.

Tieria nodded in thanks and slowly drank the liquid. "Is that better?" Lockon asked. Tieria nodded and Lockon gently eased him against the bed, "Hey Tieria," he said softly, "I'm sorry I neglected you today. You got really sick and I did nothing to help."

"It was my fault," Tieria muttered, "I should have gone back when I first started feeling ill. I want to apologize for ruining your daytrip."

"Tieria," Lockon gasped, "You didn't ruin our daytrip. I ruined it for you. We should have waited for the weather to cool down. If we had stayed here you wouldn't have gotten sick or broken your arm. Tieria…Tieria?" He looked at the boy and found that he was asleep, "Good, you need to rest."

Lockon sighed in relief as the lamp and the air conditioner came back on as the storm started to die down.

"Alright Lockon," Sumeragi said as she walked into the room, "You're relieved of your duties. Go get some rest. The couch is free."

"Wait…I thought I was watching Tieria all night," Lockon said, "So why are you relieving me of my duties?"

"Because I saw what you just did and I'm satisfied," Sumeragi said, "Get some rest."

"Thank you," Lockon said as he walked from the room.

Sumeragi sighed as she placed her hand on the boy's forehead. Tieria was still running a fever but he wasn't nearly as warm as he had been just a few hours earlier. The red hue to his face was beginning to recede, /Good, he's not sunburned/ She thought, /He should be fine once his fever breaks/

"Thank you Tieria," She said softly as she took the boy's uninjured hand in her own, "Thank you for hanging in there."

* * *

A few hours later Lockon woke to a knock at the door. He slowly stood up and answered the door, "Doctor Moreno…" He muttered sleepily, "S'about time."

"The storm postponed my flight about two hours," Joyce said, "Otherwise I would have been here much earlier. I've heard all about what happened and I've brought all the necessary equipment to treat Tieria here."

"That's good," Lockon said as he led Joyce to the room Tieria was resting in, "He was pretty bad last night."

"Doctor Moreno," Sumeragi said, "When did you get here?"

"Just a few minutes ago," Joyce said. He looked over at Tieria, "How is he doing?"

"He still has a low grade fever," Sumeragi said, "But he's made major improvement from yesterday."

"How bad did it get?" Joyce asked as he checked Tieria's breathing and heart rate, "What were his symptoms?"

"His fever topped out at forty point two," Sumeragi said, "His stomach couldn't hold anything down, he was in and out of consciousness and he wasn't sweating. Once he could hold water down we forced him to drink every time he woke up."

"It got pretty bad then," Joyce said, "What have you been giving him to drink?"

"This," Sumeragi said as she held up the electrolyte solution.

Joyce took the bottle, "You did the right thing Sumeragi," He said, "By giving him this you effectively treated him for dehydration. He's still a touch dehydrated but it's no longer dangerous. Now about his arm," he said as he examined Tieria's injured left arm. He brought out a small x-ray device and placed it on Tieria's arm, "His arm is broken alright. It's a clean break though it should only take a few weeks to heal." He strapped a brace-like device to Tieria's arm then realigned the boy's arm.

Tieria gasped and stirred as he woke to the pain in his arm.

"I'm sorry Tieria," Joyce said, "I didn't mean to wake you up. I'm just going to cast your arm then we'll all set." Tieria nodded as Joyce took another set of x-rays. "Your arm is broken and you're going to have to wear a cast for the rest of your trip." Tieria nodded as Joyce started to cast his arm, "You can sleep if you want Tieria. I'll be done in about half an hour."

Tieria shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Almost an hour later Joyce finished with the cast.

"Well I'm all set," Joyce said, "He seems to be alright. Don't do anything strenuous today. Tieria still needs a day to rest. Make sure he eats today he needs to make up for the nutrients he lost yesterday. "

"Alright," Sumeragi said, "Thank you for coming Doctor Moreno."

"It was no problem," Joyce said, "Let me know if he gets worse."

"I will," Sumeragi said as Joyce left the room.

* * *

Several hours later Tieria walked into the kitchen as everyone was finishing up from lunch.

"Tieria," Sumeragi called, "How are you feeling?"

"I've felt better," Tieria said softly as he sat down on the couch, "I'm tired, lightheaded, I have a headache, and my arm hurts."

"Are you hungry?" Sumeragi asked as she sat down next to Tieria.

"A little bit," Tieria said.

"I'll give you something gentle on your stomach for now," Sumeragi said, "But later on try to eat something with more sustenance."

Tieria nodded and shut his eyes. He was absolutely exhausted but he didn't feel much like sleeping. He could barely remember anything that happened the day before. He knew they had gone to Boston and that he had gotten sick during the trip but he couldn't remember how he had gotten back.

"Tieria," Sumeragi called softly, "Are you still awake?"

Tieria opened his eyes, "Yeah," He said as he sat up a bit.

"Here," Sumeragi said as she handed Tieria a tray, "I brought you a grape popsicle, some cherry gelatin, and an unflavored electrolyte solution." She placed her hand on Tieria's forehead, "You should go back to bed when you're done with that. You still have a little bit of a fever."

Tieria nodded and started on the popsicle. He wasn't a fan of popsicles or gelatin but he wasn't about to complain, he needed something to possibly cool himself down with. He wanted to eat but at the same time he knew that he was still running a slight fever and he didn't want to over do it.

"Thank you Sumeragi," Tieria said as he handed the tray back and slowly stood up.

"You're welcome," Sumeragi said as Tieria headed for the door, "Where are you going?"

"Back to the other house," Tieria responded tiredly, "This is the girl's house isn't it?"

"It is but you're staying here today," Sumeragi said, "I want to keep an eye on you. You can go back to the room you were in earlier. Let me know if you need anything."

Tieria nodded and headed back to the room he had been resting in earlier.

Sumeragi sighed. /Hopefully when he wakes he'll be feeling better/ She thought, /There's only so much he can take. I feel bad, I forced him into this. Perhaps when we get back I'll completely drop the punishment. He's been through enough in the past three days to make up for it. I think from now on if he doesn't want to do something he won't have to do it/

* * *

Poor Tieria has it rough when I'm in charge. But at least he'll pull through after this chapter and maybe I'll go easy on him for the rest of this story…for the most part anyway. The bit about the local coffee shop chain is true. You really _do_ have a seventy-five percent chance of getting a god-awful coffee. And if the coffee _is _drinkable then odds are they screwed your order up somehow. But enough about that. I'm not sure what to do with the next chapter, I'll either do the beach or an amusement park…there's really not much to do in Southern New England at all. So until next time, ja ne Minna-san!

Oh and no, I don't ship Tieria and Sumeragi...She's just worried about him. Nothing more. The person I ship Tieria is a little too young during this time but maybe I throw her in just to brighten things up a bit.

_Ex-Shark-V-005_


	8. Supermarket Misadventures

Konnichiwa Minna-san! It took me a little while to get this chapter up. Thanks to a hurricane turned tropical storm we were without power for about fifteen hours and I was able to get a lot of writing done. I don't have much to say about this chapter so after the disclaimer, you can get started. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam 00, the characters or anything else to do with Gundam 00. But as long as I'm good and I don't traumatize Tieria too much, Veda is letting me borrow them for a bit.

Happy Reading!

* * *

Chapter Eight: Supermarket Misadventures

Sumeragi was relieved when Tieria emerged from the room a few hours later. He looked much more rested than he had the first time he had woken up. The color had returned to his face and the dark circles that had been present beneath his eyes were gone. Not to mention the purple haired Meister looked rather annoyed.

"How long do I have to wear this _thing_?" Tieria asked as he lifted his left arm.

"You broke your arm Tieria," Sumeragi said, "You'll have to wear that for the rest of the trip."

"Are you serious?" Tieria exclaimed, "Why couldn't we use regeneration treatment?"

"Because we don't have access to a regeneration treatment capsule here," Sumeragi said, "I wanted to take you to a hospital but I knew you weren't going to consent to it. You were lucky that Doctor Moreno was able to make it here to treat you."

Tieria sighed, "Whatever," He muttered as the doorbell rang, "I'll get that."

"Oh they're here," Sumeragi said.

"Who's here?" Tieria asked as he opened the door.

"ERDE-SAN!" A young girl exclaimed as she threw herself at the unsuspecting Meister.

"Nani!" Tieria gasped as the girl's weight knocked him over, "Mileina Vashti?"

"Yup!" The girl responded happily, "Mama and I decided to come too!"

"Mileina," Linda said, "Get off of Tieria-kun. He broke his arm yesterday and you're going to hurt him more."

"How did you break your arm?" Mileina asked as she stood up.

"He fainted yesterday," Allelujah said, "And when he fell he broke his arm."

"Of course you did," Mileina said, "I guess it's a good thing you're getting the largest Gundam then, you seem to be very accident prone."

"I heard you got pretty sick yesterday, Tieria-kun," Linda said, "Are you feeling better today?"

"I'm feeling better," Tieria said, "I'm still a little tired though."

"You're _tired_?" Lockon asked, "You slept all day! How can you still be tired?"

"I've had a goddamn fever all day!" Tieria exclaimed, "Not to mention that I was woken up at the crack of dawn when my arm was painfully snapped back in place dammit! I'm pretty sure you would be tired as _hell_ if you went through what I've gone through in the past twenty-four hours!"

"Wow," Lockon said, "I've never heard you swear like that Tieria. Just try to watch your mouth in front of Mileina."

"Shut _up_!" Tieria exclaimed.

"Lockon please," Sumeragi warned as she walked up to Tieria and placed her hand on his forehead, "If you're still tired you should go to bed early Tieria. You're not warm anymore though so your fever must have fallen. Are you hungry?"

"Yes," Tieria said.

"We're going to have grilled chicken and rice," Sumeragi said, "Is that alright with you?"

"It's fine," Tieria said as he sat down on the couch, "I _knew _this was going to be a bad idea."

"Ya know what Erde," Hallelujah said as he walked up to Tieria, "I kinda wish you were still sick. We wouldn't have to put up with you bitch about everything under the friggin' sun."

"Would you watch your mouth?" Tieria asked, "There's a child in the room!"

"Well you swore first," Hallelujah said, "I'm just following in your example."

"Hallelujah, don't start with him today!" Sumeragi warned, "He's tired, he wasn't feeling well earlier, leave him _alone_! And that goes for everyone."

"Hey, Erde-san," Mileina said, "Mama and I are gonna go to the supermarket. Would you like to come with us?"

"That sounds like a good idea," Sumeragi said, "There's a lot of food you can't or won't eat Tieria. You should go with them that way we won't have to guess and you can get what you want."

"Alright," Tieria said as he stood up, "Just let me get dressed."

"Okay," Mileina said, "We'll wait for you. Stratos-san," The girl said after a few minutes, "Do you want to come too?"

"Sure," Lockon said, "I'm sure Tieria's gonna need some help. I never really noticed, is Tieria left handed or right handed?"

"I'm ambidextrous," Tieria said as he reentered the girl's house, "I can use either hand."

"That's convenient for you then," Lockon said, "It would have sucked if you said that you were left handed. Do you have a side you prefer?"

"Not really," Tieria said as he tied a blue sweater around his slim waist, "Are we ready to go?"

"Why are you bringing a sweater?" Lockon asked.

"I was a little chilly at the mall the other day," Tieria said, "I can imagine it's going to be cold in a supermarket."

"That's probably a good idea," Linda said, "Are we ready to go?"

"Yes," Tieria said as he followed Linda, Lockon and Mileina out of the house.

* * *

Tieria decided that the supermarket trip was going to be annoying. The only shopping cart he could find kept veering off to the right and he was having trouble keeping it from slamming into things. Not to mention that the sweater he brought was not enough to keep out of the cold and the smell in some places was nearly overpowering.

"Tieria do you want me to push that for you?" Lockon asked.

"No," Tieria snapped as he struggled to keep the cart from slamming into a shelf of glass jars, "I've got it."

"If you say so," Lockon said as he grabbed the left side of the cart for Tieria. He then sighed as the cart Tieria was trying to use crashed into a shelf of bread crumbs and several boxes fell to the floor, "Okay Tieria before you break something or hurt yourself again, I'm taking this from you."

"I can handle it on my own," Tieria snapped as the cart slammed into another shelf.

"No, you can't," Lockon said as he finished picking up the bread crumbs from the floor, "Come on, people are staring at us. Let me have the cart."

"Fine," Tieria said as he surrendered the cart to Lockon, "But I could have handled it on my own."

"Whatever Tieria," Lockon said, "Are you getting what you need?"

"Yes," Tieria said as he read the ingredient list on a can of soup.

"And what exactly is it you can't have?" Lockon said as Tieria put a few cans of the soup in the cart.

"Dairy," Tieria said, "I'm slightly lactose intolerant."

"Meaning…?"

"I can have _some_ dairy," Tieria said, "But too much of it will give me a stomachache."

"I see," Lockon said, "And what is it you won't eat?"

"Anything artificial," Tieria said.

"Heh," Lockon scoffed, "Good luck with that one."

"In the past few years the government has put restrictions on certain artificial ingredients," Tieria said, "There's not as much food with artificial ingredients in them as there was in the past."

"Uh huh," Lockon said, "So I take it you won't drink soda then." He said as he realized that Tieria had skipped right over the soda aisle.

"No, I will not," Tieria said, "Soda is nothing more than sugar water and empty calories."

"They have zero calorie soda," Lockon said.

"They use artificial sweeteners for that," Tieria said as he walked down the coffee aisle.

"Stupid little health food nut," Lockon muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Tieria asked.

"Nothing," Lockon said.

"Excuse me," Tieria said as he walked up to the blonde girl putting boxes of tea on the shelf, "Could you tell me what kind of coffee is the best?"

"I dunno," The girl said as she blew a bubble with the gum she was chewing then popped it loudly in Tieria's face, "I never buy this shit."

"Is there someone else I could ask?" Tieria asked.

"I dunno," The girl said as she shoved the last box of tea on the shelf, "Goddamn box friggin' stay!" She then hid the box behind another product, "You could ask the bitch in the next aisle. Apparently she's a senior part-timer she'd probably know."

Tieria sighed and walked into the next aisle. At first he thought the other girl was lying about the redheaded girl using a milk crate to put boxes of cereal on the top shelf. The worker looked like she was barely old enough to work let alone be a senior part-timer. However he then spotted a small pin on her name tag that read "five years."

"Excuse me," Tieria called.

The girl quickly jumped off the crate, "How may I help you?" She asked as she kicked the milk crate to the other side of the aisle.

"I was just in the previous aisle and the girl there said you would know something about the coffee," Tieria said.

"What were you looking for?" The girl asked.

"I'm not familiar with the brands here and I was wondering what the best brand of coffee is," Tieria said, "The other girl was of no help."

"Alright," The redhead said as she led Tieria to the other aisle, "Are you looking for canned coffee, bagged coffee or instant coffee?"

"Which is the best?"

"Bagged coffee," The girl said, "Do you have any flavor preferences?"

"I prefer my coffee strong," Tieria said.

"Alright," She said as she took a bag off the shelf, "I recommend this then. Starbucks Columbian is your best bet."

"Thank you very much," Tieria said.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" She asked.

"I don't think so," Tieria said, "I'll let you know if I need anything else."

"Alright," The girl said, "And about her," She said gesturing to the other girl, "She's new."

"I can tell," Tieria said as he read the girl's name tag, "Thank you very much Mikaela."

"You're welcome," The girl said.

"I will," Tieria said as he walked off to find Lockon. He found Lockon loading the cart with packages of cookies, "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Getting some good stuff," Lockon said, "Because I _know_ you won't get any."

Tieria looked at the number of packages the Lockon had put in the cart, "Why are there _eight _packages of cookies in there?" He asked.

"We'll be here for two weeks," Lockon said, "We'll need something to snack on."

"If you want something to snack on you can get something healthier," Tieria said as he started taking the packages out of the cart.

"I did get some healthy stuff," Lockon said, "But we need some not so healthy stuff too. Come on Tieria can we get at least three packages. They're on sale."

"I'll buy _one_ package," Tieria said, "But that's it."

"But there are two houses!" Lockon whined, "We can't have one package of cookies for two houses! Can we get four?"

"Two," Tieria said, "One for each house."

"How about I meet you in the middle," Lockon said.

"Are you trying to haggle me?" Tieria asked.

"Come on Tieria," Lockon said, "Let's get three packages."

"Whatever," Tieria said, "I need to get one more thing then I'm done."

"Okay," Lockon said, "Oh," he said as he walked up to the red haired girl, "Do you guys sell liquor here?"

"No we don't," The girl said.

"Really?" Lockon said, "That's odd."

"I believe it's illegal to sell liquor at a supermarket in Rhode Island," The girl said, "At least I think I heard that somewhere. That law, if it is a law, has been in place for over three hundred years."

"Wow," Lockon said, "Well, not that you're old enough to drink but do you happen to know where the closest liquor store is?"

"There's one on the other side of the plaza," The girl said, "And then if you turn left out of the plaza and go straight there's another one just before the light. The second one has a better selection and is cheaper."

"If you don't mind me asking," Lockon said, "How old are you?"

"I'm twenty-one," The girl said.

"You look like you're fifteen no offence," Lockon said as he stared at the girl in shock.

"None taken," The girl responded, "I get that all the time. Have a nice day." She said with a slight bow as she was paged to the store's backroom.

"You too," Lockon said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," She said, "Awesome accent by the way."

"Thanks," Lockon said, "Are you Irish?"

"With the last name Gilpatrick how can I not be Irish?" She asked, "I'm twenty-five percent."

"Nice," Lockon said, "Have a good one."

"Lockon," Linda said as she walked up to him, "Are you all set?"

"Just about," Lockon said, "We just need to find Tieria."

"He was just getting some soy milk," Linda said, "He should be here momentarily."

"I'm right here," Tieria said as he walked up to Lockon holding a carton of orange juice in one arm and a carton of soy milk in another.

"How can you drink that stuff Tieria," Lockon asked.

"I'm lactose intolerant," Tieria snapped, "That's how. Can we get out of here now? I'm tired, I'm cold and I just had some little kid run right into me then he told his mother that I tripped him."

"Wow," Lockon said as he got in line, "Uh Tieria, how are we gonna pay for this?"

"You were given a debit card right?" Tieria said as he took out his own card, "Did you bring yours?"

"No," Lockon said, "I forgot it. Hey could we stop at a liquor store on the way back?"

"Do you have your debit card?" Tieria asked.

"I just told you I left it at home," Lockon said.

"Then no," Tieria said, "We cannot stop at a liquor store on the way home."

"But you brought your card," Lockon whined, "You could buy it for me."

"I'm underage remember?" Tieria said.

"Dammit," Lockon muttered.

"Do you mind helping me with this?" Tieria asked as he started putting the food on the belt, "It's not easy with only one hand."

"Oh Sorry," Lockon said as he started to help Tieria, "I keep forgetting you broke your arm."

"How convenient," Tieria snapped, "Maybe I should break your arm and see how you like it."

"Jeez Tieria," Lockon said, "What's gotten into you?"

"I don't know," Tieria said, "Maybe it has _something _to do with yesterday."

Lockon said, "I said I was sorry," he said, "It was my brother's fault! Plus didn't you admit to it being _your_ fault last night?"

"I did," Tieria said, "But you should have kept a closer eye on me."

"Hello miss," The cashier greeted, "Did you find everything you were looking for?"

"I did," Tieria said as Lockon laughed almost hysterically.

"I'm sorry sir," The cashier said.

"It's fine," Tieria said as he made a mental note to slap Lockon when they got back to the house.

"Do you have our rewards card?" The girl asked.

"I do not," Tieria said.

"Alright," The girl said as she finished ringing the stuff up, "Did you want credit or debit?"

"Debit," Tieria said.

"You can use the pin pad," The girl said. Tieria did what he was told, "Do you want your receipt in a bag?"

"Yes," Tieria said.

"Alright," The girl said, "You are all set sir. Have a nice day."

"Thank you," Tieria said as he helped Lockon get some of the bags in the cart. He turned to Lockon, "The next time we have to come shopping, I am staying home."

"Alright, alright," Lockon said.

"Oh and if you mention _anything _about what the cashier said to me to _anyone_ I _will_ hurt you!" Tieria warned.

"Okay," Lockon said.

"Did you get what you needed?" Linda asked as Lockon loaded the groceries into the car.

"Yes," Lockon said, "Only Tieria wouldn't let me get a lot of good stuff."

"It doesn't matter," Mileina said, "Mama and I are gonna make a cake sometime this week. And Erde-san is not allowed to help us."

"That's fine with me. I won't eat any of it anyway," Tieria said as he sat in the front seat of the car, "I can't believe the cashier thought I was a woman…"

"What!" Mileina exclaimed, "That's hilarious! But I can see how it happened. Have you ever looked at yourself in a mirror Erde-san?"

"Of course I have," Tieria said, "I just don't see it."

"Then you need to get your eyes checked again dude," Mileina said, "I don't think your glasses are strong enough."

"My glasses are fine," Tieria said as Linda got in the car and started the engine.

"Here Tieria," Lockon said as he handed Tieria a bag, "Just in case."

"What's up?" Mileina asked, "Don't tell me Erde-san gets carsick."

"He does," Lockon said.

"Are you serious?" Mileina asked, "And you're a mobile suit pilot? You had better _hope _that you never get sick during a battle."

"Don't talk to him too much now," Lockon said as Linda started to drive back to the house, "He might get sick."

* * *

When they got back to the houses everyone was in the backyard getting ready to cook supper.

"Hey guess what everyone!" Mileina called out, "The cashier thought that Erde-san was a woman!"

Tieria gasped in horror as Hallelujah started to walk up to him, "So at least I'm not the only one who made that mistake," He said, "Honestly Erde, you would make a better woman, perhaps you should keep that in mind."

"I'll be in my room if anyone needs me," Tieria said, "Please call me out when supper's ready."

"Good work kid," Hallelujah told Mileina as Tieria walked off, "Do you want to do something for uncle Hallelujah?" The girl nodded, "Do you want to keep a count of how many times Tieria is mistaken for a woman? I would do it myself but Erde might kill me if I did and odds are he won't hurt a child."

"Okay," Mileina said, "You can count on me!"

"Good girl," Hallelujah said, "We're counting on you."

* * *

Oh the supermarket and the horror stories that go with them…I work at a supermarket so I know a lot of the horror stories. But I was nice (for once) and I didn't give them anything too horrible. The sad thing is there are supermarket employees like the blond-haired girl, I've dealt with a few and they don't last too long. Yes, the red haired girl is me. Yes my first name is Mikaela but no my last name is not Gilpatrick and I'm not telling you my real last name…people will hunt me down if I do. But anyway, Mileina has been thrown into the fray like I mentioned she might. The next chapter should be up soon, they're gonna go to an amusement park that should be fun to write. Until next time minna-san! Ja ne.

_Ex-Shark-V-005_

To those in the north east and New England who were affected by Hurricane Irene I wish you all the best of luck!


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